The Avenging Spider
by Sierra-021
Summary: Two years after Age of Ultron, Spider-Man was asked by Stark to join the Avengers. Having always wanted to be like his idols, Peter Parker accepted...only to find most members of the team aren't comfortable with the idea of a teenager risking his life to be a hero. Even so, this doesn't stop Peter from continuing to fight for the little guys.
1. Chapter 1

\- **I've gone to see Avengers: Infinity War three times now and it's still just as awesome as it was when I saw it the first time. Still a little upset they decided to turn my favourite superhero to dust for this one but he'll be back. Until that happens, I'll just have to be patient.**

 **\- I've been working on another story for the Amazing Spider-Man as often as I could but most of the ideas I thought of never worked or they did at first...and then fell flat just as quickly. Perhaps the accurate thing to say is that while the idea seemed fine, it was my writing that just didn't do it proper justice.**

 **\- This idea just came out of the blue one day and while it is mostly based on the Marvel film verse, it's basically a...AU? (is that the right word?) Peter's a little older in this and Tony's asked him to join the Avengers not long after the events in Age of Ultron. He designed his own suit with some of Stark's resources but Karen is something they developed together.**

 **Take your time reading and I hope you enjoy it.**

 **...**

"Dude, stop this."

Spider-Man easily sidestepped the steel pipe that was swung at his head and jabbed his left fist forward into the mugger's face, sending him flying through the air before he crashed against a brick wall and crumpled in a unconscious heap.

Snatching up a fallen purse with his webs, Peter held out the bag for the lady hiding behind him. "Here you are, miss. Are you okay?"

"Y-yes." She muttered before her lips twitched into a small smile. "Thank you, Spider-Man."

"No problem. Call the police on this idiot and get home safely...I'd avoid walking through the alleys at night in the future though."

The woman laughed as she gave the webslinger a friendly hug. "I'll remember that. Thank you again, Spider-Man."

Peter nodded and watched her walk into a nearby convenience store before he wall crawled up to the roof of the building.

" _Peter, Hawkeye has been calling you continously for the past ten minutes._ " Karen informed. " _Shall I patch him through?"_

"Oh shit! I forgot! Patch him through, Karen."

A tiny screen popped up on his hud...with a scowling Clint in the centre of it all.

"Where the hell are you, kid? Did you forget we had a meeting scheduled today?"

Spider-Man sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, Mr. Barton. I was busy stopping these thieves when you started calling and I sort of forg-"

"Save the excuses, Parker. Just get your ass here already...Cap's annoyed as it is."

Clint abruptly hung up. Spider-Man let out a sigh before he began to websling his way to the Avenger's compound.

" _Are you okay, Peter?"_ Karen asked, her voice sounding very concerned.

"Yeah...just not looking forward to another evening of most of the Avengers looking at me like I'm a mistake."

Not many people were aware but the A.I. cared very much for Peter and she did everything in her power to make sure the young man was alright both physically and mentally. If only Clint bothered to let her owner explain, he would've known Spider-Man had been busy stopping one of the twelve muggings and two attempted robberies that occurred tonight when he called.

For anyone other than some of the hardheaded Avengers, they would've at least understood why Peter was running late.

...

"I'm so sorry, Captain. I was-"

Peter stopped talking as Steve raised his hand and looked at him with a stern glare. "Kid, you have to learn to be on time. These meetings are important and if you're not here for all of it, there's a good chance you might miss crucial details."

"But I-"

Captain Rogers folded his arms. "No buts. You start coming in on time or I'll suspend you from the team, understood?"

Most of the other Avengers silently agreed with the Captain and were looking at the webslinger as though it was a mistake for him to even be here. The only exceptions were Vision, who just smiled at him politely while the Scarlet Witch and the Black Widow glared at the team for accusing Spider-Man of being lazy when he was anything but.

Natasha had taken a quick liking to Peter when they first met. Unlike most people who tended to keep the Black Widow at arm's length, the young Spider was genuine in his desire to know her as a person and she appreciated how normal he made her feel despite being somewhat aware of her past. Natasha took it upon herself to mentor Peter and she often referred to him as her _Маленький паук_ affectionately.

Wanda and Peter got along very well right from the start. They were almost always seen together whenever he came to the compound. She found it easy to talk to Spider-Man and often confided in him whenever something troubled her. While the majority of the team still believed her to be a potential threat, Peter treated Wanda like a respected friend and would call out the team on their stupidity whenever they voiced their suspicions about her. The fact that he was willing to argue with his idols just for her sake made it all the more endearing and she was happy to have Peter as a close friend.

They understood how busy Peter was between being Spider-Man and being a high school student in his last year. Why the others couldn't get that was a mystery to them.

"Will you just back off, Steve?" Natasha said, getting up from her seat before she wrapped her arm around Peter. "I'm sure he has a good reason for why he's late. You guys just never give him a chance to explain as usual."

Captain America just frowned and gave the go ahead to Sam to finally begin their briefing. Peter smiled in appreciation at Natasha, a smile she returned in kind as they sat down.

"You okay, Peter?" She whispered, not really paying attention to what Falcon was saying.

Their meetings almost always consisted of little more than discussing the latest intel on potential threats and then they made rough plans on how and who best to deal with it. Natasha wasn't sure why the others insisted for Peter to be here for these things when they didn't even let him join them on these missions most of the time.

Unless their assignment required all the help they could get, they always made him stay behind to help out around the compound...which was a mistake in her opinion.

Spider-Man nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for sticking up for me back there."

"I always will, _Маленький паук_...so what kept you so busy?"

Peter gave a brief explanation on what he'd been doing when they called him. By the time he finished, Natasha and Wanda, who'd long stopped paying attention to the meeting, were looking at him with impressed eyes.

"You stopped all those crimes in less than two hours? That's amazing, Peter." The Scarlet Witch praised.

He nonchalantly shrugged. "I guess. It was actually a pretty light evening today."

Black Widow couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's idea of a 'light evening.' Most heroes had trouble stopping two crimes, let alone twelve in the span of two hours. If only Steve and the others knew just how much Peter worked to keep the streets safe...perhaps then they wouldn't be so hard on him.

The meeting soon concluded and everyone left to tend to their own personal affairs. Peter headed to the break room for a drink. He hadn't drank anything since he rushed his way to the compound and his throat was parched. Natasha and Wanda decided to join him and they walked side by side. A SHIELD agent passed by them as they rounded a corner...and cursed something under her breath at the Scarlet witch before she continued on her way. It wasn't silent enough as Peter and Natasha heard anyways. Their fists clenched in anger when they saw the subtle hint of hurt in the young Sokovian's eyes.

Wanda managed to give them an apologetic smile before she left for her room in a hurry.

Peter and Natasha shared a worried look. "...I'll make sure she's okay."

"Alright." Black Widow nodded before her gaze turned cold. "I'm going to go find that bitch and give her a piece of my mind."

"Just don't kill her, okay?"

"No promises." She joked. Well, he hoped it was a joke at least.

Peter set the thought aside for later...Wanda's well-being was his utmost concern right now. Aside from Natasha, Thor, or Tony, she was the only other Avenger he got along with the most and they always did their best to look out for each other.

He knocked on the door to her room. "Wanda?"

There was a moment of silence before she replied. "...Come in."

Peter entered the room, where he saw the Scarlet Witch sitting on her bed...blankly staring at the Rubik's cube floating in mid-air courtesy of her telekinesis abilities.

"Are you okay?" He asked, quietly closing the door.

She nodded and gestured for him to take a seat beside her. "I'm alright. Sorry I ran off like that."

"Hey, you don't need to apologize. That woman was way out of line. I can't believe some of them still think of you as a bad guy."

"...It makes sense when you think about it." Wanda said with a shrug. "It wasn't too long ago when Pietro and I helped Ultron nearly succeed in destroying the world."

He scoffed. "That doesn't mean they should treat you like this. As far as I'm concerned, you've long made up for your mistakes. You're a good person and so was your brother. "

Wanda was touched that her best friend thought of her in such a positive light and she showed her appreciation by pecking a kiss on Peter's face. "Thank you. You're kind to say so."

"I'm only being honest."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know...and I wish Steve and the others would stop treating you like you're a liability to us. I just don't understand why they give you such a hard time."

"I think it's because I'm the youngest here." Peter muttered, holding her close. "I once overheard Mr. Barton say I'm just a dumb kid who only knows how to play hero, not be one. Mr. Wilson said something similar...I just can't remember what it was exactly."

"What?" She looked at him in disbelief. "They can't be serious! Peter, you were a superhero even before the Avengers were formed. You have more experience than most of us when it comes to stopping crime. All we do is bust up arms-dealers and when you think about it, we only fight supervillains when they try to destroy the world. You go in to help save people from crazed idiots on a regular basis."

"That doesn't make what you guys do any less important, Wanda."

She smiled. "I know but if you ask me, I believe you're one of the greatest heroes in the world...and I'm glad to have you with us."

Peter's face blushed out of embarassment. He wasn't used to hearing such compliments at all but hearing Wanda's words gave his heart a rare warm and fuzzy sensation.

"Wow...um, thank you. I don't often have people talk about me in such a nice way."

Seeing the cute flustered expression on her best friend's face made her giggle. "I meant every word I said, Peter. Why the hell do they think you're a kid anyways? You're only three years younger than me."

"What's the age for a child to be considered an adult in Sokovia?"

"Eighteen...why?" She asked, confused by the odd question.

"Because the age of an adult starts at twenty one in the States and since I'm only eighteen, I'm still a minor in the eyes of the law here."

"Really?" Wanda blinked at this new bit of information. "Huh. Well, I see you as a mature young man and that won't ever change...even if you do look a bit younger than your actual age."

"I appreciate that." Peter chuckled, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Thank you."

Someone knocked on the door before it was slightly opened and the Black Widow peeked her head through. "Hey, you two. Mind if I come in?"

Wanda waved for her to enter. "Of course not."

Natasha came in and sat down in a chair facing the two youngest members of the Avengers. It was a minor struggle on her part to keep from smirking when she noticed how Peter was holding Wanda close in a supporting manner...they just looked so cute together.

"You didn't kill her, did you?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Nope. I just made sure she knew it wouldn't be wise to insult Wanda while I'm around."

"So you threatened her...nice."

Peter and Natasha gave each other high fives while Wanda just looked confused. "What are you two talking about?"

"Remember the dumb SHIELD agent who decided to insult you? Natasha went to go find her and verbally tear her a new one." He explained.

Her eyes widened as she turned to the Black Widow, who gave her a warm smile. "You're my friend, Wanda. No one gets away with hurting my friends."

"...Thank you." The young Sokovian gratefully whispered as she hugged Natasha.

Natasha held Wanda close for a moment before she pulled back but kept a gentle grip on her shoulders.

"Are you okay though? I know you can hear other people's thoughts and most of them don't...particularly think of you too favourably. If you want, I could have a word with Hill and see if we can't stop this dumb hostile attitude of theirs."

There was silence for a moment before Wanda smiled as she reached for both Peter's and Natasha's hands and gently squeezed.

"It's alright. Their opinions never mattered to me anyways. I can handle it...because I have you two to help me."

...

\- **Title and summary sucks, I know.**

 **\- It might seem like I'm making the Avengers look bad but that's not it. The majority of the team aren't exactly comfortable with the idea of a kid (at least from their point of view, Peter's a child.) risking his life to be a superhero and they just don't know how to react to it. You know those really strict parents who don't approve of a certain choice their child makes but they grudgingly accept their decision? It's kind of like that...not sure if that makes sense to anyone.**

 **\- I'm still on the fence about whether or not to keep this as a one shot, mostly due to a lack of time but I'll do my best to continue writing on this should you all wish to see more.**


	2. Chapter 2

\- **I'm surprised so many of you asked me to keep going with this but...thank you. To be honest, the only reason I considered keeping the story as a oneshot is because free time isn't something I have much of in spades.**

 **\- This isn't going to be a overly complicated plot. That sort of thing takes a high level of skill in writing and I don't possess that ability unfortunately. When the action and fight scenes come into play later, I'll do my best to write out the details. Fair warning though...I suck at writing action scenes.**

 **\- This is more of a drabble in hindsight. Coming up with anything is a struggle right now and I was lucky to be able to think of this.**

 **Enjoy.**

...

Peter and Wanda shared a light-hearted laugh as they sat in the break room. The Black Widow just regaled them with the tale of how Hawkeye got arrested during one of their past undercover assignments. Apparently, his fake beard dropped in the midst of being questioned by a security guard at an airport and that's when they nailed him. It took SHIELD two weeks worth of pulling some strings before they could get Clint back stateside.

"That must've really sucked." Spider-Man wiped away a tear before his cellphone suddenly buzzed. "Sorry, I got to take this...hello?"

" _Hey, Peter. How was your patrol? I hope you didn't get hurt."_

"I'm alright, May. I finished my patrol about an hour ago."

" _I'm glad to hear that. Are you coming home?"_

"I'm about to head back soon. Need me to pick up anything?"

His Aunt chuckled on the other line. " _No, we're good. Just come home safely...I love you."_

"I love you too."

Putting the phone away, Peter looked up to see the Scarlet Witch giggling while Black Widow had a teasing grin on her face.

"What?"

"Nothing. We just think it's sweet that your Aunt calls to check on you." The young Sokovian said. "It'd be nice to meet her one day. She sounds like an amazing woman."

"She's the best part of my life. You're welcome to visit my place and meet her if you'd like."

Wanda smiled at Peter. "I'd love that."

"Mind if I come along?" Natasha asked. "It's been a while since I've spoken to May and I miss eating the amazing lemon meringue pie she makes."

"You're always welcome at my house. My Aunt loves seeing you anyways."

"Tell her the feeling's mutual."

"I will...I better get home then. It's almost past midnight."

Wanda stood up and wrapped her arm around Peter's. "I'll walk you out. You coming, Natasha?"

"Nah. I'm going to get some sleep before Steve has a chance to wake us up for something stupid again." The former SHIELD agent said. "See you soon, _Маленький паук._ "

Spider-Man waved goodbye before he left the room with his best friend. Natasha just watched Peter and Wanda leave with a fond smile...the two really did look good together.

...

 _Two weeks later..._

"May, I'm home."

His aunt looked away from the bills on the table and got up to give her beloved nephew a hug. "Welcome back. How did your final exams go?"

"I think I did well. The questions weren't exactly hard to figure out."

May chuckled, her hand ruffling Peter's hair. "That's because you're a hard-working genius and I'm proud of you."

As she gazed at the cute face of her nephew, tears began to well up in her eyes. It was hard for her to believe how fast he's grown.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." She whispered, wiping her tears. "I was just remembering when we first took you in. You were the most adorable little boy we've ever seen and now here you are...a handsome young man who's about to graduate high school. Your Uncle Ben would be so proud right now."

His own eyes were starting to feel wet but he did his best to hold the tears back. "...You think so?"

"Peter, stop." She already knew what her nephew was thinking. "It wasn't your fault. There was no way you could've known that would happen so don't blame yourself."

"I know. I...I just miss him."

"I miss him too." May pressed a kiss on Peter's forehead. "What do you say we have something special for dinner? To celebrate your graduating high school?"

"Maybe you could bake a lemon meringue pie for dessert?" He suggested. "I'll make the famous Parker lasagna for dinner."

"Sounds like fun. Let's get to it."

May headed to the kitchen first while her nephew left for a moment to put away his backpack and hoodie. Getting the ingredients he'd need from the cupboards and fridge, Peter made sure to measure the right amount for everything before he began to cook the hamburger meat. It felt nice to be able to just hang out with his Aunt again. His duties as Spider-Man kept him busy and with her hectic work schedule, they weren't able to spend as much time together as they used to.

"How we doing, sweetie?" She asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Laying down the last of the noodles now."

"It smells really good...honestly, I'm a little jealous that you cook better lasagna than I do."

Peter just gave a sheepish grin. "I'm only good at making it because I learnt from the best."

May giggled as she caressed his face. "Pie's almost done. I'll go set the table."

Taking a moment to double check everything, he put the lasagna into the preheated oven and set the proper temperature so it would cook right.

"There...now all we have to do is wait." He muttered before the ringtone of his phone played out from his pocket.

"Hello?"

"Hey, _Маленький паук."_

"Tasha?" Peter asked. "What's up? I haven't heard from you guys in a while."

"Sorry about that. Steve rounded us up to take out a hidden hydra base in Switzerland and we just returned yesterday."

"There was a mission? How come I didn't hear about it?"

"...Clint and Steve didn't want you to come. They thought you'd be too reckless for this one. Wanda and I tried to tell them not having you was a mistake but we were ultimately outvoted."

Peter sighed. He wasn't surprised to hear the team had benched him again but it still hurt to be reminded of the little faith they had in him.

"It was probably for the best. I had to write my final exams for the entirety of last week anyways." He muttered. "...Is everyone okay?"

"Well, Sam twisted his ankle and that's only because he tripped over one of the hydra agents. Nobody else suffered any injuries though."

"That's good. I'm glad no one was hurt." He said, taking a moment to chuckle on Mr. Wilson's mishap.

"Yeah...except maybe bird head's pride." Black Widow joked before her voice softened. "Don't take what Steve or any of the other idiots say seriously, _Маленький паук_. You're an amazing hero and I'm proud to have you on the team."

Peter smiled. "Thanks, Tasha."

"You bet. So what were you doing before I called? I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Not at all. May and I were just making dinner."

There was a pause on the other line for a moment. "Did she make lemon meringue?"

"Uh, yeah? It's in the oven right now."

"...May we join you for dinner then?" Natasha asked, the tone in her voice almost sounding like an excited child.

"Sure. Wait, who's we?"

He could hear something shuffling in the background before a different voice spoke into the phone. "Hello."

"Wanda? Oh man, it's good to hear from you."

She smiled on the other end. "Likewise, Peter. Remember when you invited me to meet your Aunt? We were hoping we could visit your home now."

"Of course...but isn't the compound kind of far from Queens? It'd take an hour at least to get here."

"We know. That's why we left an hour earlier and are now downstairs in your parking lot."

Peter froze before he poked his head out the nearest window. Parked next to his Aunt's car was an expensive looking silver Camaro...and Wanda and Natasha were standing on both sides of the vehicle as they waved from below.

"Hi, Peter." She grinned. "Would you mind opening the lobby door for us?"

...

"It's great to have you here again, Natasha. You look beautiful as ever."

The Black Widow gave May a friendly hug. "Always the flatterer. It's good to see you too."

Behind them, Peter stood next to Wanda...who was taking in the sight of her best friend's home. It was a humble looking place but she could tell it was well taken care of and there were many years worth of memories here for Peter and his Aunt.

"Sorry." He whispered. "I know it's not as fancy as the Avenger's compound."

"No, your home is nice. It reminds me of the house we had when I was younger."

May walked towards the two and smiled warmly at the young Sokovian lady. "You must be Wanda. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"You know who I am?" She asked, shaking her offered hand.

"Of course. Peter talks about you a lot."

Wanda smirked. "Really? What has he said?"

"Well, he often mentions how badass you and Natasha are, how pretty you both look, and the time-"

"May!" Her nephew interrupted with a flustered look on his face.

"What? It's true."

Peter groaned, trying to hide his embarrassed face behind his hands. Natasha ruffled Peter's hair while Wanda just giggled as they sat down at the table.

"I hope you're all hungry." May said, taking the lasagna out of the oven. "I'd wait for it to cool a little before you eat."

While Peter went to go get a pitcher of water, his Aunt sliced a huge portion of the pasta meal for Wanda first. The Sokovian woman smiled in thanks and cooled it with a few breaths of air before she took her first bite... and the rich succulent flavours that hit her tongue made her eyes widen.

May just chuckled at the awe expressed on her face. "Is it good?"

Wanda nodded as she took another bite. "It's delicious!"

"I agree." Natasha murmured, partaking in the delectable lasagna herself. "This is amazing...you really are a talented chef, May."

"Well, thank you but it wasn't me who prepared dinner. My nephew's the one who cooked the lasagna."

Wanda and Natasha looked at Peter with incredulous eyes, who only blushed as he poured them a glass of water.

"You made this?" His best friend asked. "I didn't even know you could cook."

Peter shrugged. "Well, I've only ever made food at home. May's the one who taught me the original recipe and I just added a few things of own. Wait till you try the lemon meringue pie she's baked...it will ruin all other sweets for you."

The Sokovian woman spared a glance at Natasha...who only smiled in anticipation for dessert. The Black Widow was seriously considering the idea of coming to her little Spider's home more often for all her meals now.

...

 **\- It feels good to be able to write a story about my favourite superhero again. I mentioned before I tried out many other ideas but none of them worked.**

 **\- I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time, everyone.**


	3. Chapter 3

\- **Work sucks. At certain points of the year, things just get busier than usual and this is one of those times...and the lack of sleep doesn't help either.**

 **\- Some people still think I'm portraying Steve and most of the Avengers to be the antagonists but no. They're just doing what they think is best to keep Peter safe...it might not be the right approach but the good intentions are there. Yeah, I'm not the best at explaining stuff like this.**

 **Take your time reading and enjoy.**

 **...**

"So this is your room."

Wanda smirked as she inspected her best friend's bedroom. Natasha was helping May clean up the dishes in the kitchen. Both she and Peter had offered to help but the two insisted that they could take care of it. The living space was small but considering he and his Aunt lived in a modest apartment, it made sense. A single bed sat in the middle of the room and beside it was a desk that had a rather aged looking computer placed on top.

The walls were decorated with some posters for movies that she's never seen before but other than that, it seemed like a regular looking bedroom.

Peter scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, it's a far cry from my quarters at the compound but I like it."

"I like it here too. Your room feels nice and cozy." Wanda praised before she noticed some framed photographs sitting on his desk.

There was one picture that stood out as she picked it up. In the photograph was Peter and his Aunt, happily smiling as a kind looking middle aged man held them close by the shoulders.

"...That's Uncle Ben. It was the last photo we ever took together before he died."

His eyes turned sad for a moment before he sat down on the bed. Wanda took a seat beside him and placed the family picture in his hands.

"You would've liked him." He said, his fingers tracing around the image of his Uncle . "He was nice to everyone and would listen to you if you had any problems. Ben always gave great advice and while we were never rich, he worked hard to provide for us. We never needed much though...we were happy with what we had."

Wanda put her hand on top of Peter's. "Your uncle sounds like a good man...I'm sorry I'll never get to meet him. I know he'd be very proud of you."

"...Thank you." He whispered.

The young Sokovian woman just smiled reassuringly at Peter. After all the times he's helped her, it felt good to be able to help her best friend for a change.

"So...did you enjoy dinner?"

Wanda happily nodded. "Of course I did! You think you could cook that again for us?"

"Well, I don't mind but you think Cap and the others will get mad at me for using the kitchen? They always gets antsy whenever I touch something vaguely important there."

"Peter...you're just making food. They're insane if they get mad at you for doing that."

"Fair point." He conceded with a goofy grin. "What did you think of dessert?"

Her mouth nearly watered as she remembered the heavenly sweet taste of the pie his Aunt baked. Now she understood why Natasha kept bragging about it...May's lemon meringue may have ruined all other sweets for her.

"I loved it. Your Aunt May really knows how to bake." She praised. "...Do you know how to make it?"

"Uh, yeah. It's been a while since I've made dessert but I remember the recipe."

"...Please bake a pie for us when you're at the compound." Wanda begged, her lips cutely pouting. She even threw in the puppy dog eyes for extra measure, knowing he wouldn't be able to resist.

Peter crumbled almost immediately. "C'mon, you didn't have to pull that move on me. I was going to say yes anyways."

"Sorry." She said jokingly. "I just wanted to be sure."

"...Part of me wants to get back at you now."

"Oh? How do you plan on doing that, Mr. Parker?"

Peter just smirked before he suddenly pounced her. Wanda squealed in surprise as she found herself laying on her back. She was about to ask what he was planning when his fingers started to poke at her sides.

"W-wait-ahahaha! Peter, stop-" Wanda was unable to control her laughter as Peter continued to mercilessly tickle her. "I-I can't brea-hahahaha!"

He let up just enough so she could breathe but nevertheless kept prodding her ribs.

"Had enough?" Peter asked, smiling at how much Wanda was chortling. It may have been slightly unintentional on her part but it was good to hear his best friend's carefree laughter.

"Hehehehe! Y-yes!" She managed to say before her giggling broke out again.

With a triumphant smirk on his face, Peter finally got off of Wanda. That turned out to be a mistake as the Sokovian woman suddenly grabbed his collar and flipped him over. Now Wanda was sitting on top of Peter with an evil grin on her face.

"My turn." She whispered before her fingers began to poke underneath his arms.

"Wanda-eheheha! S-stop-wahahaha!"

A chuckle escaped her lips as she watched Peter squirm beneath her. Any words he tried to say quickly dissolved into uncontrolled laughter. She knew his ticklish spots just as well as he knew hers.

"You know what they say about payback, Peter." Wanda teasingly sang.

"Heheha! I-I get it! Just sto-ehahaha!"

The bedroom door suddenly opened and Natasha came bursting in. "All right, what are you two doi-"

The Black Widow didn't finish her question as she took in the sight of Wanda straddling Peter's hips...and on his bed no less.

"Hey, Tasha." Her little Spider greeted. "What's up?"

Her lips slowly curved into a teasing smirk. "Uh, nothing. May and I just wondered why you guys were laughing so loud. I'll leave you two to your fun...and Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget to use protection."

Natasha couldn't hide her snickering as Wanda and Peter blushed a bright red almost simultaneously, having finally realized they were in a rather...compromising position together.

"I-it's not what you think." The Sokovian woman muttered, sliding off of Peter. "...Don't you dare tell May."

"What, that I saw you trying to seduce her nephew? Hm...I think I will." The Black Widow said, grinning mischievously before she left the room.

Peter frantically leapt up to try and stop Natasha from telling his Aunt her misinterpretation of what happened. Wanda sat on the bed and waited for her face to stop blushing. Leave it to the Black Widow to catch them at the most awkward moment. She just hoped it wasn't too late to stop Natasha from mentioning it to May.

As she left the room, Wanda couldn't help but admit...being so close to Peter felt really nice.

...

 _A few days pass..._

Peter delivered quick powerful jabs at one of the many training dummies located in the gym of the compound. Wearing a simple black t-shirt and sweats, he changed out of his suit not long after the team left. He'd swung by the compound immediately after finishing up his afternoon patrol of Queens and caught the Avengers just as they were about to leave for yet another mission.

Not surprisingly, most of the team had ordered him to remain here despite Black Widow's and the Scarlet Witch's protests. Tony argued with the Captain on this as well but it did little to change the minds of Steve and the others who agreed with him.

Spider-Man just sighed sadly before he bid them good luck. Wanda and Natasha stayed behind long enough to give Peter a hug, with Black Widow instructing her _Маленький паук_ to practice some of the fighting moves she's been teaching him for the past few months.

Two hours have passed since they left and Peter kept himself busy by doing what his mentor asked. The two broken punching bags lying on the other side of the gym served as a good indication to anyone who walked in of how hard he'd been pushing himself thus far.

" _Hello, Peter."_

The webslinger stopped his fists midpunch and looked upwards. "Hey, Friday. How's it going?"

" _I'm good, thank you."_ The A.I. said, her voice sounding upbeat as usual. It always seemed that way whenever she spoke with him. " _You've been working hard for a couple of hours now. Might I suggest taking a break?"_

After taking a moment to think on it, Peter nodded. "Sounds good to me. Thanks, Friday."

" _You bet."_

Spidey grabbed a clean towel from one of the racks before he headed to the break room. Wiping off the sweat from his head, his phone suddenly played a little tune which notified him of an incoming text.

' _I'll be working late tonight, Peter. I left some money on the table if you want to order in food. Remember to be careful when you're out on patrol. I love you!_

It was hard to believe three years have passed since she first found out about his alter ego. His Aunt had been understandably upset at first but after he explained how it all began and his reasons for doing so, May reluctantly agreed to let Peter continue to be Spider-Man as long as he followed the rules she set.

Her conditions were simple and reasonable. He had to be home by midnight and if anything happened, he would immediately call her or one of the Avengers. The most important one was that his grades would not suffer and if they slipped, his duties as Spider-Man were to be put on hold until they improved...which didn't happen fortunately.

Peter just smiled at May's text. He was lucky to have such an understanding and supportive individual like her in his life.

Vision phased into the room and placed a hand on the unsuspecting webslinger's shoulder in greeting...nearly making him jump to the ceiling as he yelped.

"My apologies. I did not mean to frighten you."

"I think I almost had a heart attack." Spidey joked as he caught his breath.

Vision looked inquisitive. "Does your spider-sense not alert you of intruders?"

Peter shook his head. "No. It only warns me of immediate danger and where it's coming from or if anyone has the intent of causing me harm."

"Interesting..." The android muttered before his mouth quirked into a smile. "So how has your day been?"

"Not bad. Things have been a little slow since my last day of school but I can't complain. How about you?"

"I am doing well. For the past few days, I've been teaching myself how to cook."

Peter's eyes rose out of interest. "Oh yeah? How's that been going?"

"I've had various degrees of success. I am happy to say I have yet to burn anything though." Vision said, a hint of pride detected in his synthesized voice.

"That's good. You're doing better than I did...first time I tried to cook anything, I nearly torched our kitchen back home."

Peter just shook his head at that particular memory while Vision chuckled. "It is fortunate you did not actually set your kitchen on fire then."

"You have no idea. Aunt May would've killed me for sure had I actually burnt the place down."

The guardian of the mind stone smirked. "I highly doubt your Aunt would've done so. More than likely, she'd set a strict but suitable disciplinary action as punishment."

Spider-Man laughed as he opened a bottle of water and took a long sip. It was comfortably silent for a moment before they heard something go boom from outside.

"Friday? What was that?"

" _Hold on. I'm checking now."_

Vision looked to the door. "Someone has arrived."

Peter stood ready in case an attack was coming from the other side. The android standing beside him followed suit...before he unexpectedly relaxed his guard with a smile.

" _It's okay."_ FRIDAY said, her voice echoing over the room. " _We can relax...an old friend has just returned with some company."_

"Old friend?" Spidey asked just as the doors slid open...and his mouth gaped open when a tall individual stepped into the room with a broad smile etched on his godly face.

"Vision! Man of Spiders! It is good to see you again, my friends."

...

- **I know...it's a little short. I'll try to make the next one a bit longer. I'm pretty sure you guys can guess who just arrived at the end.**


	4. Chapter 4

\- **This took me a long time to finish. Part of the reason why is because it was hard to find spare time to do so and also because I had to rewrite a lot of it. Usually when I get stuck on a part, I just get away from the story for a day or two and then come back to it with a fresh perspective. It's one of the few ways I have to overcome writer's block.**

 **\- Just letting you guys know, it might be a while before I can update. Things are going be really busy for me again pretty soon and I don't know how often I'll have free time to work on this. That being said, I'm not one to leave a story unfinished so don't worry about me abandoning this or anything of the sort.**

 **Take your time reading and have fun reading this.**

 **...**

"Hey, Thor." Peter greeted before the God of thunder's powerful arms enveloped around him for a firm hug.

The son of Odin smiled as he lifted Peter off his feet. "I have missed you, my young friend. How fares you of late?"

"I missed you too, man. I'm doing well...how about you? It's been a long time since we last saw each other."

"Indeed it has." Thor said, his blue eyes turning serious for a moment. "I have been trying to find answers for why the Infinity stones have resurfaced in the past few years. Alas, my duties in Asgard has kept me from making a more concentrated effort and the information I've found thus far amounts to precious little."

Peter admittedly knew very little about the Infinity stones. The last time they met, Thor had explained to him the basics of what they were and he was aware the mind stone was used to create Vision. Speaking of Vision, the android had phased into another room after FRIDAY informed him of an incoming call. It must've been pretty important considering he hasn't returned yet.

"Father suggested that I take a break from all my duties, which is why I've returned to Earth. I wish to see our friends again before I head back...although it seems they are not here."

"The team left for a mission not too long ago." Peter explained. "Right now, it's just me and Vision here."

"I see. Do you know when they'll return?"

"I'm not sure but you're welcome to wait here. I don't think they'll be gone for too long." The young Spider said before he remembered something. "...Friday mentioned you brought company. Where are they?"

Thor smiled brightly. "Ah yes, I nearly forgot. I'd like you to meet two dear friends of mine."

The doors slid open again and this time, two beautiful brunette women entered the room. One of them wore glasses and a look of excitement adorned her face as she checked out the living area. The other lady appeared more calm in comparison and when she met eyes with Peter, she gave him a nervous wave.

For some reason, he felt like he's seen her before...where from exactly he couldn't remember but his mind was getting closer to figuring it out.

"This is Jane Foster." The God of thunder introduced as she stepped forward. "The world's foremost expert in astrophysics. Jane, this is my friend, Peter Parker."

The famed astrophysicist extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Dr. Foster." He shook her hand, finally realizing why she seemed so familiar. "I'm a big fan of your work. I've read your papers on the theory of using wormholes as potential gateways."

She looked pleasantly surprised. "You understood what I wrote? I haven't even translated the scientific terms for the general public yet...and I didn't think anyone under the age of twenty five read research papers."

Peter sheepishly chuckled. "I love science. Biochemistry's what I've studied the most but I like learning about the other scientific disciplines too."

"Young Parker is very intelligent. I daresay his aptitude for science rivals that of Stark's or perhaps even yours, Jane." Thor praised, patting a strong hand on Peter's back.

"That's amazing! Are you interested in being an intern? It'd be nice to work with someone who actually understands my research."

"Uh...I'll have to check with Mr. Stark. I'm kind of already his intern." Was it even legal to be an intern for two different people?

"I'm sure we can work something out." Jane said with a grin before she turned to her friend...who was using her phone to take pictures of the dining area. "Darcy, stop snapping photos and introduce yourself already!"

The pretty woman with glasses, presumably Darcy, huffed out of annoyance as she put her phone away. "Okay, okay. I just wanted to check out the place where the Avengers eat."

"It's a kitchen." Jane deadpanned.

"A really cool one..." Her friend muttered before she waved at Peter with a smile. "Hi, name's Darcy Lewis. I'm Jane's intern."

The young Spider waved back. "It's a pleasure. I'm Peter Parker...are you an astrophysicist too?"

"I wish. I get lost whenever Jane starts using those really complicated words. No, I'm more into political science."

"Oh, that's cool." Peter knew almost nothing about that particular field but he had to admit it sounded kind of interesting.

"Thanks!" Darcy said, beaming at the praise. "So where are the Avengers? Thor brought us here so we could meet them and hang out for a bit."

"They are presently out on a mission. Until they return, we will have to wait." Thor informed.

Vision phased back into the room, making Jane and Darcy nearly jump out of shock. The God of thunder laughed while Spidey quietly chuckled...almost everyone who's ever witnessed Vision for the first time had similar reactions.

"My apologies." The android said before he turned to Spider-Man and Thor. "Captain Rogers has just informed me they've completed their mission and they are now returning."

The son of Odin had an excited look on his face. "Excellent! I cannot wait to see them all again."

Spidey grinned, knowing the Avengers would be happy to see Thor too after his lengthy absence. He just hoped none of the team was hurt in any way.

...

"How did you guys meet him?"

Peter asked as he passed over a cup of coffee. Darcy smiled in thanks before she took a sip. Thor and Jane were conversing with each other on the couch while Vision was trying to make risotto in the kitchen.

From the pleased look on his face, it seemed the cooking was going well.

"Thor? Well, we were taking some readings of the night sky in New Mexico when a wormhole suddenly tore open." The pretty intern explained. "He came out of the portal but we didn't actually find him...until Jane hit him with our van."

"You guys ran Thor over?"

"No, no. We just knocked him out...twice. Jane backed the van into Thor again when we tried to find him at the hospital."

The young Spider couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't think it was possible to knock him out ."

Darcy chuckled along. "Me neither but I think he didn't have his powers at the time. That's probably why we were able to drop him on his ass."

"I would've loved to see that."

"I'll take a video for you next time it happens."

Peter grinned before his gaze shifted upwards. "Hey Friday, how much longer till the team gets back?"

" _It'll be another fifteen minutes before they return."_

"...Is anyone injured?"

There was a pause for moment. " _It's okay, Peter. I have confirmed that no one is hurt."_

"That's good." He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thanks for letting me know, Friday."

" _Anytime."_

Darcy just smiled...it was obvious the young intern cared about the famous heroes and heroines he got to work with.

They only just met a couple of hours ago but she was really starting to like Peter a lot. Not only was he smart but he was also humble and polite, admirable traits that most folks his age severely lacked. Plus it didn't hurt that Peter was a pretty handsome guy...and he was only a few years younger than her.

Thor strode over with Jane right behind him. "I have been told our friends will be arriving soon. Shall we wait for them by the landing bay?"

"Sounds good to me." Spidey said as he and Darcy got up. "Vision, you coming?"

The android looked away from the boiling pot for a second. "Go on ahead. I shall be with you shortly."

Peter nodded before they all made their way towards the hangar. The familiar shape of the Quinjet could be made out in the sky as it flew closer and closer by the second. Spider-Man and Thor stayed relatively calm, although the happy smile never left the son of Odin's lips.

Jane and Darcy looked more excited in comparison and understandably so but there was a hint of nervousness in their eyes. Soon as the quinjet landed, Thor immediately embraced the first person that exited the ship...who turned out to be Iron Man.

"Whoa, whoa! What the heck-" The billionare stopped squirming once he got a better look. "Wait...Thor? Is that you?"

"Indeed." He said, setting Stark down on his feet. "I am glad to see you again, my friend."

The shocked look on Tony's face was priceless. "Uh...great to see you too, goldilocks. What brings you here?"

"I am taking a break from my duties in Asgard. What better way to do so than to come see my old friends? My companions have accompanied me so they could meet you all."

"I see." Tony muttered before he waved for the rest of the team to join them. "C'mon down, guys. Guess who decided to grace us with his godly presence today?"

From the side, Peter just grinned as he watched the other Avengers happily greet their old teammate. Darcy and Jane stepped forward to introduce themselves and they were now shaking hands with each member of the team.

The Scarlet Witch gave Thor a simple nod and greeted his two friends with a polite hello before she walked towards Peter. She didn't know the God of thunder very well. The one time they've met, it was during the battle against Ultron and even then, they barely spoke to each other. Not that she hated him or anything...they just never really interacted much.

"Welcome back. Are you okay?"

"I'm alright." Wanda gave Peter a quick hug. "I hope you weren't bored while we were gone."

"Not really. I was just training like Natasha asked...until Thor showed up out of nowhere."

She smirked. "That must've been quite a surprise."

"Well, he did make a loud entrance." Peter said with a grin. "But I'm glad to see him again."

Black Widow headed their way after she introduced herself to Jane. Her eyes looked a little tired but otherwise she seemed to be okay.

"You guys might want to get ready." Natasha said, ruffling Peter's hair. "Tony's planning on having a party tonight in celebration of Thor's return. Jane and her intern are invited too."

"A little sudden, don't you think?" The Sokovian woman asked.

She shrugged. "I guess but we've been working pretty hard for the past few weeks. This party might be a good chance for us to relax a little."

"I've never really been to a party before." Peter muttered. Being considered one of the uncool kids back in high school, nobody ever invited him to their parties...except for Liz Allan once. It was a nice gesture on her part but unfortunately, he couldn't go due to his responsibilities in keeping the streets safe as Spider-Man.

"Neither have I." Wanda admitted. After her parents died, she and her brother didn't really have the luxury nor time to attend such things. "I guess that means we can enjoy our first party together, Peter."

Her best friend smiled. "I guess so."

"Well, it is a party so remember to relax and have fun." Black Widow advised as she threw her arms around the two youngest Avengers. "...Just try not to drink too much or else you're gonna have to deal with Steve and his lectures."

Spidey wasn't too worried about that one. He wasn't old enough to drink anyways...and May would probably kill him if he tried.

...

"I am so out of place..." Peter muttered as he moved around the lounge area. There weren't many guests as the Avengers only invited those they were personally close to. That being said, he didn't know most of their friends very well but nevertheless gave a polite greeting whenever one of them noticed him.

His lips quirked into a smirk when he saw Thor having a drinking contest against Colonel Rhodes and Tony while Vision was watching the competition with curious eyes. The God of thunder was clearly having fun with his old friends. Sam and Captain America were having a private talk about something regarding a missing person as they sat on the couch.

Black Widow and the Scarlet Witch were at the bar, having a friendly conversation with Darcy and Jane. They hadn't brought any other clothes when they arrived here so Natasha lent them some of hers to hold them over.

It was funny to see his best friend be the only one with a glass of fruit punch in her hand while the rest drank wine. It wasn't surprising though...Wanda hated the taste of alcohol.

"Hello, Peter."

Spider-Man nearly jumped at the sudden hand that patted his back before he took a deep breath and looked behind him.

"Ms. Hill?"

The SHIELD agent chuckled. "How many times do I have to say it? Just call me Maria."

"Sorry...force of habit." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"No worries. Where have you been? I didn't see you with everyone else when we arrived."

"Oh, I just got here about fifteen minutes ago." Peter explained. "I've never been to a party before and I was having some trouble deciding what to wear."

In the end, he chose to wear a simple outfit consisted of a dark blue long sleeved shirt with a black jacket on top and jeans.

"You look nice, Peter." Maria praised, eyeing his choice of clothes in approval.

"Thanks! You look great too!"

It was rare to see her without the usual SHIELD uniform but nevertheless Maria still looked beautiful in the white dress she was wearing tonight.

"Always the charmer, aren't you?" Hill smirked before she pressed a kiss on Peter's forehead. "So how's it been fighting alongside the Avengers?"

Over at the bar, Wanda noticed Maria kissing Peter...and her eyes twitched in annoyance. She knew the woman adored her best friend like that of a little brother but seeing her give him such an affectionate gesture really irritated her for some reason.

The webslinger didn't answer right away as it took a moment for his face to stop blushing. "U-uh, it's going okay. I don't get to join them on their missions very often though."

"What? Why's that?"

He sighed. "Cap and most of the others usually order me to stay behind. They think I'm too young and reckless to help out."

Maria frowned...she's witnessed Peter in action as Spider-Man before and knew firsthand his skills and abilities would be a great asset to the team. Why the Avengers chose to bench him at the compound instead was beyond her but she made a note to confront Steve and the others later for making such a dumb decision.

"They're fucking idiots for thinking that." She deadpanned, her blunt language shocking the young Spider for a second. "Don't let them get to you, Peter. You're doing a great job keeping the streets safe."

Spidey's eyes brightened at her words. "Thanks, Maria."

"Anytime." Hill smiled, ruffling Peter's hair. "Keep up the good work."

"Underoos! Get over here!"

Maria and Peter shared a funny look at the nickname before they shrugged and headed to where Tony was. Everyone else was already sitting down on the couches, except for Hawkeye...who was stretching his arms for some reason.

Peter sat down beside Wanda. "What's going on?"

"Barton wants to see if he can lift Thor's hammer." She explained, pointing to Mjolnir that was set on the table. "Most of the others want to try it too."

"You don't?"

The Scarlet Witch shook her head. "Nah...I probably wouldn't be able to lift such a powerful weapon anyways."

Clint finally finished his warmup and tightly gripped the handle . Thor was watching with a bemused look in his eyes.

"Are you sure you wish to do this?"

The archer smirked. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely gonna be able to pick it up this time."

Black Widow just rolled her eyes...she already knew the outcome wouldn't be any different than the last time he tried. Clint pulled with all the strength he could muster but the hammer didn't budge.

Tony was the next to try and he even had an upgraded gauntlet prepared. He was confident at first...before the expression on his face quickly turned into that of annoyance as Mjolnir didn't move even with the Iron Man glove desperately trying to pry it off the table. Rhodey and Sam didn't fare any better than the first two.

While Natasha already knew she wouldn't be able to raise Mjolnir, she still gave it a shot anyways. As expected, the hammer didn't move but she took it in stride. Wanda decided to try after some encouragement from Peter...but even with her best efforts, she couldn't raise the hammer either.

Captain America was the last to go. For a moment, he thought he felt the hammer twitch a bit but not even the supersoldier was able to raise Mjolnir in the end.

"Goddamn it!" Hawkeye swore. "I'm telling you it's some kind of trick!"

"Or perhaps it is as I've said before..." Thor picked up Mjolnir and swung it as though it weighed nothing. "None of you are worthy."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Alright, who else hasn't tried yet? How about your girlfriend there, Thor?"

Jane nearly spilt her drink before she waved off the idea. "Ex-girlfriend, Mr. Stark and no. I probably won't do any better than you guys did."

"Your intern then?"

"No thanks, dude." Darcy shook her head. "I already tried once before and it didn't even budge."

"So is that it? Nobody else?" Steve asked, looking around the room.

Hill glanced at Spider-Man...and deviously grinned. "Why don't you give it a shot, Peter?"

All eyes were on Peter now, who looked a little surprised at the idea. "Me? Uh, I don't know."

Falcon scoffed. "No offense, kid but I seriously doubt you're gonna be able to lift the damn thing."

"My _Маленький паук's_ got the best chance out of all of us." Natasha coldly glared at Falcon before she gave Peter an encouraging smile. "You can do this."

"Seriously?" Clint asked, looking incredulous. "If none of us were able to lift Thor's hammer, what the hell makes you think the kid can?"

"How about a bet then, Barton? Five hundred bucks says Spidey will be able to raise Mjolnir." Maria challenged. She was confident that Peter could do it.

"You're on."

Sam raised his hand. "Make that a thousand bucks then...I still don't believe he'll be able to lift the hammer."

"Maria, a-are you sure?" Spidey asked, looking a little worried. He didn't want her to lose such a costly wager because of him.

"I'm certain." Hill reassured, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "You got this, Peter."

"Well...all right then. Here we go."

Wanda grasped Peter's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, calming his nerves a little. Peter smiled in thanks before he approached the awaiting Mjolnir. The others were watching closely as his hands gripped the handle.

Taking a deep breath, Peter pulled with all his strength...and almost hit himself in the head with Mjolnir as it swung through the air.

"Whoa, that was close." He whispered, giving the hammer a few swings. He hadn't expected the weapon to be so light.

Spider-Man looked up and noticed everyone was now staring at him. Natasha and Maria grinned proudly as they watched the young Spider with impressed eyes. Wanda stared at her best friend in awe while Jane's jaw nearly dropped at the sight. Darcy was just smiling as she took a photo with her phone.

Clint and Sam's reactions were similar to Jane's...only difference being that their eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their heads. Steve was silent as he looked on in disbelief. Tony was frantically asking FRIDAY if she recorded the whole thing and Thor simply had a proud look on his face.

"That's a thousand dollars you guys owe me." Hill said, smirking at Hawkeye and Falcon. "Pay up."

...

\- **I've always liked the idea of Maria Hill and Peter Parker being close, whether it be romantic or just as close friends. A lot of the other stories I've read featuring such a relationship were really well written. Quick question, is SHIELD still active in the MCU or has it been defunct for a while now? They brought it up every now and then in the films after the Winter Soldier but I haven't found anything definite.**

 **\- Sorry if I screwed up the scientific terminology. I did my best to make it accurate but I couldn't find the proper scientific word for wormhole.** **Until next time, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and leave a review whenever possible.**


	5. Chapter 5

\- **There's been a lot of mixed opinions about whether or not to make this a harem story for Peter. (We really need another word for this...saying harem makes me feel awkward for some reason). That's why I'm still on the fence about the idea because there seems to be a lot more of people that don't want it than the ones who do.**

 **\- Don't know about you guys but sometimes I make the mistake of writing Mjolnir in all capital letters. The first thing I think of when I hear the word is the famous MJOLNIR assault armour that the Spartans wear from the Halo universe.**

 **That aside, I hope you guys enjoy this and take your time reading.**

 **...**

Wanda covered her mouth as she let out a yawn. It was late into the night and most of the guests had already gone home after the party was over. Barton, Wilson, and Rogers were already in their rooms while Stark dozed on the couch next to Rhodes...who'd passed out hours earlier from their drinking contest against the God of thunder.

The two men were going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning.

Thor left not long after they all witnessed Peter lift Mjolnir. The only thing he said while leaving was that he'd return by dawn with a gift for her best friend in celebration of him being worthy. Maria and Natasha were showing Jane and Darcy their rooms after they decided to stay for the night. The young Sokovian woman was pretty tired herself and she was planning to go to bed soon.

She was just waiting for Peter, who was texting his Aunt to explain he'd be staying at the compound for tonight.

"All done." The young Spider mumbled before he put his phone away. "Sorry. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Of course not." Wanda reassured as they walked together to her room. "What did May say?"

"She said it was okay for me to stay here. I just have to be home by dinner tomorrow. Did you enjoy the party tonight?"

The Scarlet Witch nodded with a grin. "It was nice meeting Dr. Foster and Darcy. They're very kind people. Watching you prove Barton and Wilson wrong by lifting Mjolnir was the best part though."

"I still can't believe that happened." He muttered. "I'm not even sure why the hammer thinks I'm worthy to wield it."

Wanda reached for Peter's hand and held it gently. "Maybe because it sees what Natasha and I see when we look at you...an amazing superhero who will grow to be the very best of us."

"...You really believe that?"

"I do."

Peter chuckled out of embarassment. "Thanks but don't sell yourselves short. You guys are my role models...half the reason why I chose to be Spider-Man is because I wanted to be just like all of you."

"That's sweet of you to say."

The two youngest Avengers looked to see Black Widow approaching them from the right with Maria behind her.

"...But Wanda's right." Natasha said, ruffling Peter's hazel hair. "You definitely have the potential to be the greatest hero of all time."

Spidey blushed at the Black Widow's praise. "Thanks, Tasha."

Hill playfully pinched Peter's cheeks with a grin. "You are so adorable...how did it feel to hold Mjolnir?"

"I thought it'd be heavier but I can see why Thor likes using it in battle. That hammer's pretty well balanced in terms of weight and power."

"Maybe you should try using Mjolnir on one of your patrols sometime."

"...Sounds a bit overkill, don't you think?"

Maria thought about it for a second. "Perhaps. Still, it couldn't hurt to have such a powerful weapon with you just in case."

"Maybe." Peter conceded before a yawn escaped his lips.

Natasha smirked. "Go to sleep, _Маленький паук._ We can talk more in the morning. _"_

"You'll get no arguments from me. Good night, Tasha."

Black Widow ruffled Peter's hair once more before she left for her quarters. Maria bid them both good night and made her way to the room she was staying in.

"She's right. You should go to bed...after all, you're still a growing boy." The Scarlet Witch teased.

"Haha, very funny." Spidey muttered before he noticed her eyes were fighting to stay awake. "...Looks like you should get some sleep too."

"I guess so." Wanda leaned in and kissed Peter's cheek. "Good night, Peter."

"Sweet dreams, Wanda."

The Scarlet Witch smiled at her best friend before she closed her door. The young Spider returned to his room and removed his jacket. Lazily kicking off his shoes, Peter collapsed backwards onto the soft bed...falling asleep almost immediately after his head touched the comfy pillow.

...

 _"Peter?"_

Spidey groaned as he reluctantly opened his eyes. Fortunately, the blinds were closed so no unnecessary sunlight was getting in...not when he wasn't fully awake yet.

"What's up, Friday?"

" _I'm sorry for waking you up but it is currently nine in the morning."_ The A.I. said, lowering the volume of her voice. " _Ms. Romanov is making breakfast and was wondering if you wished to join her?"_

Peter sat up on his bed and yawned. "Tell her I'll be there shortly. I just gotta brush my teeth first."

" _Will do."_

The young Spider splashed some water on his face to help him wake up. Not wanting to keep Natasha waiting too long, he brushed his teeth quickly and changed into a pair of comfortable sweats and shirt before exiting his quarters.

"Good morning." Black Widow greeted, looking up from the frying pan in her hand.

"Morning. What's for breakfast? It smells really good."

"Just some scrambled eggs and bacon. Unlike you and May, I'm not that great of a cook."

"What? No, this is great! Aunt May and I are so busy in the morning, we usually only make toast or have cold cereal for breakfast."

Natasha chuckled. "Well, thank you. Now eat before it gets cold."

Peter obliged and dug into his breakfast, smiling in appreciation at the good taste of Black Widow's cooking. Natasha took a seat across from him and read her book as she nibbled on some bacon.

Wanda soon entered the kitchen with a sleepy look on her face. The Scarlet Witch was mumbling something in Sokovian as she sat beside Peter and tiredly put her head down on the table.

"Didn't sleep well?" He asked.

"I did." She muttered with her eyes closed. "Until my damn alarm clock decided to ring an hour earlier than usual."

"Let me guess. You threw your alarm clock at the wall out of annoyance."

"No...I just pulled it apart with my magic."

Peter paused for a second. "...Is it weird that I feel bad for the poor clock?"

Wanda quietly laughed as she moved her head up and rested her chin on Peter's shoulder. "Well, I suppose ripping it in half may have been too harsh."

"Here." Natasha said, placing a cup of hot green tea in front of her. "This should help wake you up."

"Thank you."

"You bet. Would you like something to eat?"

"Just a bit of toast, thanks. I'm not really hungry right now."

Black Widow nodded and moved to grab some toast from the fridge. Wanda took a long sip of the tea, savouring the warmth that the hot drink provided.

"So what are your plans for today?" She asked.

Peter took another bite of bacon before he answered. "...Not much. I'll probably patrol the streets after breakfast and come back for lunch. I'll hang around here until suppertime."

"After breakfast? Kind of early to be patrolling, isn't it?"

"Maybe." He shrugged. "But I have to make up for not doing so last night. It's not like the bad guys take a day off and I got to be there to stop them as much as I can."

"Well said, Peter." Hill said from behind, surprising the two youngest Avengers. "It's no wonder why Mjolnir deemed you worthy enough to wield it."

Maria sat down and kissed the top of Peter's head...not noticing the subtle glare Wanda was giving her. The young Spider just blushed, finishing the rest of his breakfast in a flustered fashion.

"So is Thor back yet?" She asked, greeting Natasha with a nod. "He said he'd be here by dawn with a gift."

Black Widow shook her head. "Not yet. I wonder what he plans to give Peter as a present?"

"...I just hope it's not Asgardian mead." Wanda said, having witnessed the God of thunder drink his preferred alcoholic beverage nonstop last night.

Colonel Rhodes unfortunately took one sip of it during their drinking contest...hence the reason why he passed out and still hasn't woken up yet. From how Thor explained it after Rhodes had collapsed, the rich taste was far too powerful for his mortal tongue to handle.

Maria frowned. "If it is, I won't let any of it get near Peter. He's not old enough to drink yet."

 _"It appears you will not have to worry about that, Commander Hill."_ FRIDAY's voice rang out above them. _"Thor has just arrived and he does not have anything resembling the kegs he brought the Asgardian mead in on his person."_

Soon as she finished saying that, Thor strode into the room with a joyful look on his face. Held in his hands was a box wrapped in blue cloth with a red bow tied on top.

"Greetings, my friends. I have returned." The son of Odin said before he looked around the room. "Where is everyone else?"

"Still asleep." Natasha informed. "Rhodes and Stark there are still unconscious from that little drinking contest you guys had yesterday."

"Ah, I see. It was a valiant effort on their part to try and outdrink me." Thor chuckled before he looked at Peter. "Man of Spiders! On behalf of Asgard, please accept this gift."

"Uh, thanks." The young Spider said, nervously taking the present. It felt really light in his hands. "But you didn't have to get me anything."

"Nonsense! You are the only mortal who's been deemed worthy to wield Mjolnir. The least I can do to honour such a feat is to give you a present all young warriors of Asgard receive."

Everyone crowded around Peter as he carefully unwrapped the red bow. Inside the box was a black sleeveless shirt with thin metal plates spread out evenly across the chest and abdomen area. Underneath the shirt were a pair of black pants and boots.

What stood out the most was the pair of silver vambraces...and etched in the centre of both was an intricate black Spider emblem with blue highlights around it.

"This is an Asgardian warrior's outfit, given to those who have completed their training. I had one custom made just for you." Thor explained.

Peter was speechless. "Wow...but do you really think I deserve this?"

"Of course! You have the heart and fighting spirit of a veteran warrior, young Parker. Try it on!"

"Go ahead, _Маленький паук_." Black Widow encouraged with a smile. "We're all curious to see how you look in Asgardian clothes."

Peter nodded and left to go change in another room, with Thor following so he could help him put it on. Darcy and Jane wandered into the kitchen not long after they left. The intern looked like she was still half-asleep but the good Doctor seemed fully awake in contrast. Much like Wanda earlier, Darcy took a seat and quickly put her head down on the table while her boss went to go make some coffee.

"Good morning." Jane politely greeted. "Where are Peter and Thor going? They seem to be in a hurry."

"Thor came back with some Asgardian clothes made for Peter." Maria answered. "They're just going to the next room so he can try them on."

Darcy perked up with a look of interest. "Seriously? That sounds pretty cool. I wonder what he'll look like?"

"It suits you, Man of Spiders! You look like a true warrior of Asgard!"

Everyone turned around at the sound of Thor's loud voice as he stepped back into the kitchen...seemingly alone.

"Where's Peter?" Jane asked, looking around the room.

The son of Odin smiled proudly. "He is right here."

Thor stepped aside, revealing a shy Peter Parker who'd been standing behind the God of thunder. The Asgardian clothes fitted the young Spider just right. His muscular arms were being shown off nicely, thanks to the lack of sleeves. Granted they weren't hulking biceps like that of Thor's but Peter's arms still looked well toned and strong nevertheless.

"Whoa..." Darcy whistled appreciatively as she took a photo with her phone. "Nice muscles there, dude."

Jane smiled as she nodded in approval. "I like it. It's a nice look for you."

Spider-Man nervously laughed. "Heh, thank you. "

"You look very handsome, Peter." Wanda praised, her face reddening as she admired her best friend's attractive looks. Like Darcy, she couldn't help but let her gaze linger on Peter's very fit arms.

Maria smirked. "Good-looking and cute...only you could pull off being both at the same time."

"Really?" Peter asked, checking himself in a nearby mirror. The webslinger didn't think he looked any different.

Natasha ruffled her _Маленький пау's_ hair. "Definitely. You look good in those clothes, Peter."

"Indeed, young Parker. You do all of Asgard proud in donning the traditional outfit for a young warrior. Do you like it?"

Spider-Man nodded as he adjusted the vambraces. "Yeah, I do. I thought it'd be kind of heavy wearing this but it's light as a feather. What's the fabric made of?"

"A special kind of leather made in Asgard." Thor informed. "It's enchanted to help protect you from small attacks. The plates and vambraces are made of Uru, the same metal used to make my hammer."

"Wow...maybe you should wear this instead for your patrol today." Hill jokingly advised.

Hearing that helped Peter remember the tasks he had to complete for the day.

"Oh man, I better start my patrol now if I want to make it back in time for lunch." The webslinger said before turning to the God of thunder. "Thanks for the clothes, Thor. I really like it."

"You are very welcome, Man of Spiders!"

Peter waved to everybody before he left to change into his suit. Wanda followed her best friend to see if he needed any help.

"I think I'm missing something here..." Jane said, looking a little confused. "What does Peter mean by starting his patrol and why do you keep calling him Man of Spiders?"

Natasha looked at Thor with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't tell them?"

"I did not wish to reveal young Parker's secret identity without his blessing."

Maria sighed. "Well, I don't think Peter's going to have a problem if we tell them now. You really have to learn to be more discreet, Thor."

The son of Odin sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I shall remember to do so in the future."

...

Back in his room, Peter was in the midst of putting on the pants section of his suit. The present Thor gave him were already folded into a neat pile and placed in his closet. The Asgardian warrior outfit was one of the coolest gifts he's ever received and the young Spider couldn't wait to try them on again later.

Out in the hall, the Scarlet Witch knocked on his door. "Peter?"

"C'mon in."

Wanda entered the room and froze when she saw her best friend...half naked from the waist up. The tight suit he always wore showed his fit figure beautifully but this was the first time she'd ever seen him in his bare skin. Every inch of Peter's muscular body was rock solid and well defined...most notably his chest and abdominal muscles.

"You okay?"

Realizing that she'd been staring for quite a while, the young Sokovian woman quickly recomposed herself. "Y-yeah, I'm alright. Just came to see if you needed any help."

"No problems here." Peter said before he pointed to the left. "Could you grab my webshooters for me? They should be inside the table there."

Wanda nodded and moved to the table. Opening up one of the drawers, she pulled out what looked like a pair of highly advanced looking silver bracers.

"Are these it?" She asked, holding them up.

"Yep. Thank you."

She handed them over to Peter, who promptly slapped them onto his wrists. There was a clicking noise coming from the webshooters as they wrapped around his hands. Her best friend looked hilarious though...his suit was all loose and baggy.

Peter noticed her quietly laughing. "Is something on my face?"

"Nothing like that. Your suit just looks a little funny right now."

"Huh? Oh...you mean the bagginess." Her best friend said before he pushed the Spider emblem on his chest. The sound of something whirring could be heard before the suit suddenly tightened up, fitting around Peter perfectly.

"So that's how that works. I always wondered how you manage to suit up so quickly."

Peter smirked. "Yeah, Mr. Stark and I designed it this way. It would've been a hassle if I had to put on the suit one piece at a time."

The Scarlet Witch spotted his iconic red mask on the bed and picked it up. "You know I've always wanted to try this on at least once...may I?"

"Of course. Go ahead."

Wanda smiled as she pulled Peter's mask over her head. The mask's systems activated and tightened up to fit her head comfortably.

"So how do I look?" She asked, standing with her hands on her hips.

Peter chuckled and gave Wanda a thumbs up. Seeing her with his mask on while she wore a blue camisole and shorts made the pretty Sokovian woman look nothing less than adorable in a innocent sort of way.

Then again, the young Spider always thought she was both beautiful and cute no matter what point in time it was.

"Like a fellow Spider-hero. I guess we should start calling you the Scarlet Spider now." Peter quipped.

Wanda giggled as she took off the mask. "Combining my alias with yours...I like the sound of that. It's pretty clever."

She returned the mask to her best friend, who thanked her before he put it back on his head. The blank white lenses zoomed in and out a few times before they finally adjusted to their normal settings.

"All set. Friday, could you open the top window?"

 _"Of course."_

The window on the ceiling of his room slowly slid open, letting in a rush of cool air from the outside. " _Done. Kick ass out there, Peter."_

Spider-Man smiled and stood ready to jump. "I will. Thanks, Friday."

"Wait."

Peter turned to his best friend...who suddenly looked nervous for some reason. "Wanda? What's up?"

The Scarlet Witch took a deep breath as she lifted Peter's mask halfway. Her heart was beating so fast she'd thought it might burst out of her chest. She had no idea where this sudden surge of courage was coming from but it didn't matter to the young Sokovian woman. She's been wanting to do this for a long time now and she wasn't going to let anything stop her.

"You alright?" Her best friend asked, sounding a little worried.

"I've never been better..." Wanda whispered before she leaned in and kissed Peter.

Spidey's eyes widened at the feeling of Wanda's soft lips pressed against his. The shock quickly dissipated though as Peter instinctively kissed her back. Her lips tasted sweet...like that of honey and peppermint mixed together.

Wanda was pleasantly surprised at how good of a kisser Peter was. She couldn't help but moan as her hands held onto his face, not wanting their kiss to end anytime soon.

After what seemed like an eternity, the need for air forced them to pull away from each other.

"Wow..." The young Spider whispered, his face blushing a deep red.

Wanda breathlessly smiled as she gave Peter another quick kiss. "Be careful out there, okay? We'll talk about this when you return."

Peter smiled back before he pulled the mask down. Giving her a playful salute, Spidey leapt out of the window and began to web-swing his way towards the city. He was looking forward to finishing his patrol quickly today.

...

\- **I saw the outfit that Thor wore in Infinity War and figured it'd be cool if he gave similar clothes to Peter as a coming of age sort of gift. The Spider emblem on the vambraces is the same one as the Mark IV Spider-Armour.**

 **\- I know...the little reference about the Scarlet Spider was really lame. In any case, I hope you all enjoyed it.**


	6. Chapter 6

\- **This one's a little shorter than the previous chapters. It's more or less a drabble.** **Some people were confused about the suit that Peter wears. It's the very same one he wore in Spider-Man: Homecoming.**

 **\- Sorry about the misdirection. I accidentally put up the wrong document for the next update and I deleted it right away. I was still looking over this chapter for a few hours before I finally added it to the story.**

 **Take your time reading and enjoy.**

 **...**

The Scarlet Witch let out a sigh of happiness as she sat on her best friend's bed. Her heart finally managed to build up the courage to kiss Peter and she enjoyed every second of it. It was a wonder why the young Spider had never dated before...Peter's kissing prowess alone could make any woman fall for him.

" _Congratulations on sharing your first kiss with Peter, Ms. Maximoff."_ FRIDAY praised, her voice sounding cheerful. _"How did it feel?"_

"It was wonderful. I'm still a little breathless to be honest." Wanda said. Her face blushed a bright red as she remembered how good it felt to lock her lips with Peter's.

" _Shall I inform Ms. Romanoff and the others of your newfound relationship with Peter?"_

The young Sokovian woman thought for a moment before she shook her head. "No, not yet. We'll tell them ourselves when we're ready. Just keep it a secret for now."

 _"Understood. I shall keep this between us until you inform me otherwise."_

"Thank you, FRIDAY." Wanda replied before her eyes spotted a framed picture on his nightstand.

Upon taking a closer look, she couldn't help but giggle. It was a photo of herself hugging Peter from behind as his mouth was stuffed with a forkful of pancakes Natasha had made that day.

"Come back safely, Peter." The beautiful Sokovian woman murmured as she held the framed photograph. Her fingers traced around the image of the young Spider. "I miss you already."

...

"You ever consider just getting a job so you can buy a car legally? Nah, probably not."

Spider-Man's fist tapped the back of the webbed-up car thief's head, knocking him out immediately. The tools in the now unconscious man's hands dropped and clattered onto the ground.

"Have you called the police?"

Karen's melodic voice sang out within his mask. " _They are already on their way. We should depart before they arrive."_

"Good thinking." Peter said before he swung away into the air.

This was the fourth car jacking he busted up in the last hour. Before that, he'd already stopped two robberies and a mugging attempt just minutes after arriving in the city.

"So much crime happening right now and it's barely even noon..." He muttered, landing on the top of a building. "I just don't get why these people think it's okay to better their lives at the expense of others."

" _Their motives for breaking the law are varied but the important thing is that you've stopped them just in time before their criminal activities continued."_

"Yeah, I guess. Thank you, Karen. You always know the right thing to say."

" _You're very welcome, Peter."_ The A.I. said, sounding pleased. " _Congratulations on your newfound relationship with Wanda by the way."_

Peter sheepishly chuckled. "Heh...I guess you saw our kiss this morning, huh?"

" _I did...plus you've been thinking about your kiss with Wanda nonstop. You must be very happy to finally know she returns your feelings."_

"I am but it also makes me a little nervous." The young Spider admitted. "I've never had a girlfriend before."

 _"You're afraid that you might accidentally do something to ruin the relationship because of your inexperience in dating?"_

"...Pretty much, yeah."

" _Well, keep in mind you're the only one Wanda's desired to be with. This is her first time dating too and it's more than likely she's worried about the same thing."_ Karen reasoned, the tone of her voice seemingly one of comfort. " _I highly doubt you'll ruin your relationship with her though. You're a kind-hearted young man and I know you would never do anything to hurt Wanda."_

That brought a smile to Peter's face...it was times like this he really wished he could give his A.I. partner a hug. "Thanks, Karen. You really are the best, you know that?"

 _"I am always here for you, Peter."_ She said warmly. " _I-oh. There's an incoming phone call."_

"From who?"

 _"It's your Aunt May. Shall I patch her through?"_

"Go ahead...Hello?"

" _Peter!"_ May's kind voice filled his mask's audio receptors. _"How did the party go last night?"_

The webslinger just shrugged. "Eh, it was okay. Do you remember Thor? He came back yesterday and brought over a couple of his friends."

" _Really? That must've been quite a surprise. How is he?"_

"Thor says things have been really busy in Asgard. His father ordered him to take a break, hence why he came back to see us. Othe than that, he's still the same happy pop-tart loving Norse God of thunder."

She giggled at her nephew's funny description of Thor. " _I'm glad to hear he's doing well_ _...I trust you didn't drink at this party, right?"_

Peter just smirked behind his mask. "Not a drop of alcohol touched my lips, May. I know better than to risk getting scolded by you."

 _"Smart thinking."_

"Heh...so is there something you need?"

 _"Oh, that's right. Could you pick up some eggs and milk on your way home? We ran out yesterday."_

"Uh, yeah. I'll swing by the grocery store on the way back."

 _"Great!"_ May said, smiling on the other line. _"I'll see you tonight, okay?"_

"Alright. I love you."

 _"I love you too, Peter. Bye."_

"See you later." The young Spider replied before Karen hanged up for him. "Now I'm really glad I didn't drink last night. I would've hated to lie to Aunt May about it."

" _You've considered consuming an alcoholic beverage?"_

Peter snorted out of bemusement. "The one time I tried, it was a shot of whiskey...and it tasted like muddied water to me. I've stayed away from alcohol since then."

It happened when he was nine...and the funny thing was that he drank it by accident. He had mistaken the glassed drink for iced tea after having just played outside and downed the beverage in an attempt to quench his thirst. Needless to say, the bad taste that met his tongue made him spit it out immediately just before his Uncle came back into the room. The confused and shocked look on Ben's face was humourously memorable when he asked why he just drank his shot of whiskey.

Karen giggled within his mask. " _Looks like you were always an adorable guy from the start."_

"Um, thanks." Peter blushed a little before he stood up and stretched his arms. "What time is it anyways?"

" _It is currently eleven twenty."_

"What, seriously? I feel like I just got started."

" _Well, you have been working pretty hard since you arrived. You probably just lost track of time."_ The A.I. pointed out.

"Oh...that makes sense." Spidey said, nodding at her logic. "Well, I think we have time for one more look around before we go back for lunch."

 _"I'm ready when you are, Peter."_

Spider-Man grinned behind the mask as he casually stepped off the ledge. Freefalling down the tall building at rapid speeds, Peter fired a web-line just before he could hit the ground and swung himself high into the air...keeping an eye out for the safety of the people below with his heightened sense of sight.

...

 _Half an hour later..._

The webslinger gracefully landed on the outside walls of the compound and wall-crawled into his quarters from one of the windows that FRIDAY had opened beforehand. Peter dropped down from the ceiling, pulling off his mask before he pressed the spider emblem on his chest.

His suit immediately loosened up and the young Spider took it off with ease. Taking care to fold it properly, Peter placed his suit and mask back into it's specialized suitcase. He quickly threw on a pair of comfortable sweats and t-shirt before his stomach suddenly growled.

"Sounds like someone's hungry."

Peter turned around to see Wanda grinning as she stood by his doorway. The Scarlet Witch slowly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Spider-Man.

"Welcome back." She said softly. "I've missed you."

Peter held her close with a smirk. "I've only been gone for a few hours."

Her lips pouted. "That's far too long for you to be away from me...you should know Darcy and Dr. Foster are now aware that you're Spider-Man."

"What? How did they-"

"Maria and Natasha told them after they figured it out from Thor and the way he addresses you." She explained. "But don't worry, they promised not to tell anyone and that they'll keep your secret identity to themselves."

Her best friend let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. I'll have to thank Jane and Darcy later when I see them...I'm guessing Thor calling me the 'Man of Spiders' was what gave it away?"

"That and Jane got kind of suspicious when you mentioned you were going to start your patrol this morning. It didn't take her long to put two and two together."

The young Spider just shook his head with a impressed chuckle as they sat down on his bed. Wanda clasped Peter's hands in hers and held on with a firm but gentle grip.

"So...how long have you felt this way about me?" He asked, breaking the silence.

The beautiful Sokovian woman smiled as her face reddened a bit. "I've been in love with you for a long time, Peter...probably since we've first met. I didn't realize it back then but you've always been more than just my best friend. Just being with you has always made me feel safe and happy."

"...You know when I first met you, I couldn't believe that such a beautiful woman like yourself wanted to be friends with a geek like me."

"What, why?"

"Most girls tended to avoid me for most of my life because they thought I was a nerd. I guess I was just afraid you would've thought the same thing."

"Those girls are idiots then." She said, frowning at the stupidity of such people. "There's nothing wrong with you being smart. It's one of the many reasons why I like you."

Peter looked into her eyes and nervously smiled. "Wanda Maximoff...will you be my girlfriend?"

"...You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to ask me that." Wanda whispered before she gave Peter a loving kiss. "Yes, Peter Parker...I love you."

The Scarlet Witch laid on top of Spider-Man as she gently pushed him down onto the bed. Caressing the side of her face, Peter leaned in to kiss Wanda again. The beautiful Sokovian woman shuddered in delight at the feeling of his lips pressed against hers and she eagerly kissed Peter back.

Their lips remained locked together for a long while...until the need for air finally caught up to them both and they reluctantly parted.

"I love you too, Wanda." Peter breathed out, his forehead touching hers.

Wanda happily smiled and was about to kiss Peter again when they heard something grumble loudly. The young Spider sheepishly scratched the back of his head as his stomach growled again out of hunger.

"Uh, sorry. I completely forgot it's lunchtime now."

The beautiful Sokovian woman just giggled at the cute expression on her boyfriend's face. Getting up from the bed, Wanda wrapped her arm around Peter's before they left the room.

"C'mon, let's get you fed. Natasha and Maria are probably waiting for us anyways."

...

 **\- Just to be clear, there aren't going to be any rushed lemons or anything of the sort. Peter and Wanda are two young folks in love with each other for the first time. It'll be a while before they get to second and third base. I might tease and allude to it in later chapters but nothing too explicit.**

 **\- Oh yeah, the famous Spider appetite is here too. Till next time, everyone. I hope you liked it.**


	7. Chapter 7

- **I apologize for the earlier mix-up about the legal adult ages in the States. I had always just assumed kids there were considered adults when they were old enough to vote and drink.**

 **\- So I just watched Thor: Ragnarok as I didn't see it in the theatres when it was released. Work was hectic at the time...anyways, I thought it was pretty good and funny too. Hela seemed a little overpowered but she was still a cool character. B** **y the way, the events in Thor: Ragnarok haven't happened yet in this story just so no one gets confused.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoy this.**

 **...**

Black Widow smiled at the two youngest members of the team when they entered the dining area. There was something different about them though. She couldn't tell for certain but Peter and Wanda seemed to be...happier.

Sitting beside her was Maria and judging by the curious look on her face, she was wondering the same thing.

"Welcome back, _Маленький паук."_ Natasha greeted, giving Peter a friendly hug. "How did your patrol go?"

"Same as always. I just stopped a few thieves and carjackers. There was this one guy who was dumb enough to try to mug a mother and her child out in the open street." Spider-Man replied as he took a seat. "I webbed the moron up before he could touch them and left him hanging upside down by the streetlight."

Maria reached over and ruffled Peter's hair. "Nice job. Sounds like you had a busy morning."

"Eh, not really. Today was like all the other days I go on patrol so I'm used to it by now."

Wanda gazed at Peter with a proud smile. She was always amazed by how often her boyfriend fought hard to keep the streets of the city safe and this time was no exception. While it's true she and the Avengers defended the world from major threats like Ultron or Loki, extinction level events like the ones those supervillains caused seldom happened.

Nowadays, the Avengers only busted up illegal arms dealers or destroyed the occasional Hydra base. But it wasn't on a daily basis and even then, the team only intervened if the intel they recieved was solid.

"Where did Jane and Darcy go?" He asked. The beautiful Sokovian woman was wondering the same thing. They were still here when she came to find Peter.

"Thor took them back to their research lab." Natasha explained before she handed Peter their business card. "Jane said you're welcome to visit them whenever you like...she and Darcy are really hoping to be able to work with you."

The webslinger smiled as he put the card into his pocket. He couldn't wait to see Dr. Foster and Darcy again soon. Steve entered the room with Falcon following behind him. The place turned silent quickly as the Captain nodded in greeting to everyone before he looked at Spider-Man.

"Peter, do you have a moment?"

"Uh, yeah. What's up?"

Steve gestured to the door. "I just want to talk. Let's go outside."

Spidey got up and followed the Captain and Falcon out of the room. Wanda felt worried for Peter as she turned to Natasha and Maria...and the latter was deviously grinning for some reason.

"It's okay." The Black Widow reassured. "Peter's not in trouble."

Just outside, the webslinger stood nervously as he waited for Captain America to start talking. Falcon was looking at him with a frown on his face...as if he was having a bad day because of the young Spider.

"For the record, I still don't think you're ready to be in the field." Captain America stated before he sighed out of reluctance. "But Hill and Romanoff have convinced us to give you a fair chance and see how well you work with the team."

"More like they threatened us..." Sam muttered under his breath. Peter heard it anyways but put the matter aside for now as Steve continued to talk.

"There's a fugitive we've been hunting down by the name of Rumlow and we've got good intel he's planning to make an assault in Nigeria in a few days." He explained. "You're coming with us so we can finally arrest him."

The young Spider almost couldn't believe it...was he finally going to be able to work with the rest of the Avengers?"

"But you have to follow my orders without question, kid. Fail to do so and I'm suspending you from the team."

"Y-yes sir." Peter stood up straighter. "I won't let you down."

"I hope not." was all Captain America said before he turned and left.

"We've been after this guy for years so don't screw this up for us." Sam warned as he followed Steve out of the room.

His stomach growled again, reminding the young Spider that he still hadn't eaten yet. He couldn't help but feel excited though...the chance to work with his idols had finally arrived.

Wanda reached for Peter's hand as he came back to their table and sat down. "What did they want?"

Peter pecked a kiss on his girlfriend's knuckles. "...Cap's asked me to finally join the team for a mission."

The beautiful Sokovian woman grinned and gave her boyfriend a firm hug. She knew this was something he had always wanted ever since he was asked to join the Avengers.

Natasha and Maria watched Wanda embrace Peter with a hint of fondness in their eyes. It finally dawned on them why the two youngest Avengers seemed so much closer to each other than before...and they couldn't be happier for the young couple.

"Mr. Wilson mentioned something about you two threatening him and the others...what exactly did you guys say to them?"

Black Widow and Hill just shared a look with each other before they chuckled.

"Nothing much." Maria smirked as she playfully pinched Peter's cheeks. "...I just simply promised Steve I'd show the team those embarassing PSAs he made if he didn't give you a fair chance. Most of the guys were against the idea until Nat pulled out her knife and threatened to castrate them all."

"Wait...what?" The young Spider asked, not certain he heard right as his stomach grumbled once more.

His girlfriend on the other hand looked impressed at what Hill just said and she bumped fists with her and Black Widow.

"We'll tell you about it later. Let's just enjoy lunch first, Peter." Natasha said nonchalantly before she got up to make some sandwiches for her _Маленький паук._

...

Peter thought about the mission as his hands worked on the finishing touches of his project. Black Widow had explained all the basic details to him while he ate. Not all of the Avengers were going on this operation. The team members taking part consisted only of himself, Wanda, Natasha, Steve, and Sam. Hill would remain in the compound to provide intel and logistical support.

The plan was to remain hidden amongst the people in Lagos until Rumlow made his move and then Captain America would give the signal to apprehend him. Even though an undercover mission like this was something up Hawkeye's alley, Mr. Barton wasn't going to be a part of it. When he asked why that was, Natasha explained Clint was taking some time off to be with his family.

Maria warned him that Rumlow and his men would be carrying a lot of heavy firepower...which was why Peter went to the lab after lunch so he could get something ready in light of this. Wanda left to go train with Natasha and Maria in hand to hand combat drills.

"How we looking, Karen?" He asked, looking up at the holographic schematic chart.

 _"The internal and external O.S. is functioning at one hundred percent capacity. All that's left is to install the upgraded flight system...estimated time of completion is forty minutes."_

"Take your time." Spider-Man advised. "I don't want to rush this and make a mistake we might miss."

" _Of course, Peter. I will make certain everything is working as it should be."_

"Thanks, Karen." Peter said with a smile before turning back to the Asgardian bracers in his hands.

Because Uru was such a strong and durable metal, the webslinger knew it would be a good idea to install his webshooters within the bracers Thor gave him. Doing so would not only protect the webshooters from virtually anything but also his hands and wrists too.

It wasn't proving to be a difficult task but Peter made sure to stay focused so no errors were made.

"... _Not sure if you know this but when we first met."_ The words of a familiar song began to flow out of the young Spider's mouth as he worked. " _I got so nervous, I couldn't speak."_

Whenever Peter was deeply immersed into his work, he would sometimes sing to himself. It was a habit he picked up from Uncle Ben...who often sang when he was busy with something, whether it be doing taxes or fixing a table.

This song in particular was a favourite of Ben's...and his Uncle had once explained it was because the lyrics perfectly described how much he loved May.

 _"...In that very moment, I found the one and my life had found its missing piece."_

Peter's voice echoed throughout the room as he quietly sang. What he didn't know was that there was another individual listening in as he stood by the door.

Thor had just returned from bringing his ex-girlfriend and her intern to their home. While they didn't exactly part on the best of terms, it did his heart good to see Jane and her friends doing well. The God of thunder was on his way to the living area when his ears heard a beautiful song being played. Intrigued by the wonderful melody, Thor moved to find out just where the music was coming from.

The music seemed to be coming from the lab...and Thor's eyes widened when he found the source. It was Peter who was singing the song he heard.

" _So long as I live, I love you. Will have and hold you. You look so beautiful in white."_ The young Spider sang as his hands stayed busy tinkering with the webshooters.

Thor found himself entranced by young Parker's soothing voice. The way the words flowed out of his mouth was just so gentle and sweet...it was perhaps one of the most breathtaking things he's ever heard.

"Thor? What are you doing?"

The son of Odin turned to see the Black Widow, Maria Hill, and the Scarlet Witch approaching with a confused look on their faces. They had just finished training in the workout room and were on their way to the break area when they noticed Thor hiding behind the doors to the lab.

"What are you doing?" Hill asked again.

"Shh, quiet." Thor raised his finger to his lips before he motioned for them to come closer. Their curiosity piqued, they all moved to see what their Asgardian friend was pointing at.

" _What we have is timeless. My love is endless and with this ring, I say to the world. You're my every reason. You're all that I believe in. And with all my heart, I mean every word."_

"... _Маленький паук?"_ Natasha whispered, gasping in awe at how clear and strong Peter's voice was.

The webslinger was unaware of the small audience gathering just outside the lab doors. " _So as long as I live, I love you. Will have and hold you...you look so beautiful in white."_

Maria found herself swaying back and forth to the melody of the song with her eyes closed. Peter wasn't singing out loud but the lab was so empty and quiet that they could all hear him clearly.

"It's beautiful..." Wanda breathed out as she watched Peter sing with her hands clasped together. Like everyone else, she never knew her boyfriend was such a talented singer.

Thor on the other hand was making a funny effort in trying to stay stoic while holding back his tears but to no avail as they still fell. He couldn't help it though...young Parker's song just gave his heart such a warm feeling.

" _And from now to my very last breath, this day I'll cherish. You look so beautiful in white...tonight."_

Peter gently sang the last of the lyrics before he fixed the final bolt into place and held up his new webshooters. "There, all done. Now I won't have to worry about fixing these as much anymore."

Thor walked up and placed a hand on Spider-Man's shoulder. Peter yelped at the sudden touch before he turned around and saw the Norse God staring at him with tearful eyes.

"Thor? You okay?" He had never seen the God of thunder cry before.

The son of Odin nodded before he gave Peter a powerful hug, lifting the webslinger off his feet. "Your singing was magnificent, Man of Spiders. Never before have I heard such a wonderful voice like yours."

"What? Oh...you guys heard that?"

Maria looked like she was on the verge of crying herself as she smiled proudly at Peter. "We did. Thor's right, you sounded amazing. Where'd you learn how to sing?"

"Well, I didn't really take lessons but May and I used to sing the songs we heard on the radio together when I was a kid. We don't do that much anymore but sometimes I sing to myself when I'm busy working on something." He explained. "...My Uncle had the same habit."

Natasha put her arm around Peter's shoulders. "You sang wonderfully, _Маленький паук._ I would love to hear you perform again."

"Indeed, young Parker. It would be an honour to share your talent with us again." Thor added with a tone of excitement in his voice. Maria nodded in full agreement.

"They're not the only ones." Wanda said, pecking a kiss on Peter's cheek. "How come you never told us you could sing so well?"

"Uh, I don't know. It just never really came to mind before...was I really that good?"

"You were amazing!" The beautiful Sokovian woman praised before she pouted cutely. "...Maybe you could sing again for us sometime?"

Peter just sighed, unable to say no to his girlfriend's puppy eyed look. "Yeah, I guess."

Wanda happily smiled as she leaned in and kissed Peter. Natasha and Maria just grinned at the affectionate sight while Thor looked somewhat confused. He knew Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch were the closest of friends but he had no idea their relationship went deeper than that.

"C'mon, big guy." Natasha said, pulling Thor by the arm. "Let's give them some space."

The Black Widow and Hill left the room to give the young couple some privacy, pulling a slightly bewildered Thor with them. None of the two youngest Avengers noticed them leave as their little makeout session got a little more heated. Peter's tongue began to wrestle with Wanda's, eliciting a loud moan of pleasure from her as she enjoyed the sweet masculine taste of her boyfriend's mouth.

" _Peter?"_

The sound of his A.I. partner's voice made the young Spider reluctantly pull away from the beautiful Sokovian woman's lips, much to her annoyance.

"What's up, Karen?"

" _I'm sorry for interrupting."_ The A.I. said, her apology directed more at Wanda. " _But the flight guidance system's installation is complete."_

"That's good. Run a final systems check and then lock it down."

" _Understood."_

"So what have you been doing in here?" Wanda asked, looking curiously at the holographic screen. It appeared to be a schematic of some kind.

"Finishing up an old project." Spidey said with a shrug. "I've been working on it for a while now and it's almost done."

"What is it?"

"Sorry, it's a secret."

"...You're not building something like Ultron, are you?" She jokingly suggested.

Peter chuckled. "No, of course not. I swear I'm not creating an evil artificial intelligence hell bent on causing the extinction of the human race."

"Good...but what are you making though?"

"...Something that'll keep me more protected during missions. I promise I'll show you once it's finished. If it makes you feel better, I'm making something for you too."

"Oh? Now I really want to know." Wanda gave her boyfriend the puppy eyed look again. "Please, Peter? Just a little hint?"

The webslinger knew he had to react fast before his tiny resistance to that adorable look of hers weakened. Peter held Wanda by her chin and quickly captured her lips with his, surprising the beautiful Sokovian woman before she lovingly kissed Peter back.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise." The young Spider whispered, reluctantly breaking away as he took a seat. "But I hope you'll like it when it's done."

Wanda sat down on Peter's lap. "If it's made by you, I know I'll love it...may I ask you something?"

"Of course. What's up?"

"That song...could you sing it again for me?"

"You mean the one from earlier?"

"Yeah, I really like that song." The beautiful Sokovian woman said softly, resting her head on Peter's shoulder. "...Because you sang it so beautifully."

Peter wrapped his arms around her and took a deep breath before the lyrics of the song began to flow from his mouth again. Wanda closed her eyes with a smile as she listened to the sweet sound of Peter's melodious voice.

" _...Not sure if you know this but when we first met. I got so nervous, I couldn't speak._ _"_

...

\- **Maybe Natasha's threat was a bit much. The team doesn't know if she's actually serious about following through with it...but they sure as hell don't want to risk it.** **The song Peter sings is called 'Beautiful in White' by Shane Filan. I had fun writing Thor's reaction to Spider-Man singing...I mean we've all done that, right? We try to act calm and tough in moments where it was actually okay to cry or laugh in appreciation of something.**

 **\- So Peter will be part of the team to take down Rumlow but it will turn out a little differently. Like I said, this is an AU. I'm a little nervous about writing the action scenes when it comes time but I will do my best. It might not be great though so you'll have to bear with me.**

 **\- I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review whenever possible and I'll see you next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

\- **I did some reading on the theory of Einstein-Rosen bridges...and most of it was way over my head. So I took the little bits that I vaguely understood and worked them into this chapter. Sorry if I got it completely wrong.**

 **\- So what does Aunt May do for a living? I read somewhere that her occupation was a nurse and that's what I've always thought it was for a long time.**

 **Anyways, take your time reading and enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter entered his apartment with a grocery bag in his hands. Taking off his coat, he took the eggs and carton of milk out of the bag and placed them in the fridge.

"Aunt May?"

For a second, it worried him to hear no response but he immediately smiled in relief when he found May napping away on the couch. Her day at work must've been quite exhausting and he could understand why...being a full-time nurse wasn't exactly an easy job.

Peter gently shook her shoulder. "May? I'm home."

"Huh?" She jolted awake and rubbed her tired eyes. "Hey, sweetie. Sorry...I kind of fell asleep after I got home from work."

"It's alright. Why don't you get some more rest? I'll make supper."

"Are you sure? I can help if you want." May asked, still half asleep.

The young Spider smiled. "I'll be okay. I'll wake you up when the food's ready."

His aunt reluctantly nodded and laid her head back down onto the many pillows placed all over the couch. "Alright...you're the best nephew ever, Peter. You know that?"

"And you're the best aunt ever." Peter whispered, kissing the side of her face. "Get some sleep."

It didn't take long for the tired woman to fall asleep again and he covered her body with a blanket before making his way to the kitchen. Peter grabbed a pot and filled it with water. He decided to cook some macaroni with cheese for them both...a tasty dish that was simple to make.

Putting in the right amount of noodles into the boiling water, the young Spider placed a lid on the pot and let it sit. He threw some butter into a saucepan and let it melt before he put in some flour, salt, and pepper. Once it was properly mixed together, he poured two cups of milk and freshly grated cheddar cheese into the saucepan and stirred it into the mixture for five minutes.

All he needed to do now was let it sit until the cheese melted. Then he could pour the homemade cheese sauce onto the finished boiled noodles for their dinner to be ready.

The webslinger quickly washed his hands and was rinsing away the soap when his phone suddenly buzzed.

"Hello?"

" _Hey, Peter."_

"Hi, Wanda." Peter smiled at the sound of his girlfriend's voice. "What's up?"

" _Just calling to make sure you got home okay. How's your aunt?"_

From her side of the line, it sounded like there was someone yelling in the background. "Uh, she's asleep right now. Her day at work was pretty busy. Is...someone fighting or something over there?"

She sighed out of exasperation. " _Unfortunately, yes. Hawkeye and Falcon are arguing with Thor about why Mjolnir doesn't deem any of them worthy...while the rest of us are trying to eat dinner."_

"Oh...is this because I raised the hammer?"

" _They're just mad they lost a thousand dollars to Maria. Sam kind of keeps bringing that point up whenever he can."_

"To be fair, I didn't think I was going to be able to lift Mjolnir either."

" _We know and don't worry, it's not your fault."_ Wanda reassured. _"So what are you doing right now?"_

Peter opened the lid and checked to see if the noodles in the pot were done. "Making dinner. I told May to take a nap while I cooked some macaroni with cheese."

" _Aw, now I wish I was eating at your home instead. I love your cooking. Is May okay?"_

"She's alright...just exhausted from working so hard at her job. I'm planning to finish all the chores for tonight so she can get some more rest."

Wanda smiled on the other line. " _Your aunt's an amazing woman. She deserves to take some time off."_

"No arguments here. She's taken good care of me all her life...it's only right that I take care of her too." Peter said softly.

"Y _ou're a kind man, Peter. May's lucky to have you as her nephew."_ The beautiful Sokovian woman praised. "S _o are you still planning to pay Jane a visit tomorrow morning?"_

"Yeah. Would you like to come with me?"

 _"I wish I could but I won't be able to make it. I'm sorry."_ She said, her voice filled with a tone of regret. " _Natasha and Maria want to discuss some things with me tomorrow."_

"About what?"

" _Something about making a more protective outfit for me when we're out on missions? That's all they've told me so far."_

"Okay. I'll see you when I get back from Dr. Foster's place."

" _I'm looking forward to it_ _. Looks like those two idiots finally stopped arguing with Thor. It's a good thing too...Natasha looked like she was ready to tase them so we could have some peace and quiet."_

Spidey chuckled. "That's not surprising. Enjoy your dinner. I'll see you soon."

 _"Tell May I said hi. I love you, Peter."_

"I will. I love you too, Wanda." Peter said with a smile before he hung up and put his phone away.

Serving the finished mac and cheese into two separate bowls, the young Spider walked over to the couch and gently nudged his aunt's shoulder.

"May? Dinner's ready."

The beautiful red-haired woman slowly opened her eyes and sat up as she stretched her back. "Hmm, that was a nice nap. What'd you cook for dinner? It smells delicious."

Peter pulled out a chair at the table and gave a fancy gesture for her to sit. "Our dinner tonight will be macaroni with cheese. Your seat, milady."

"You're such a gentleman." May playfully curtsied in thanks before she sat down. "Wow, this looks really good!"

"Only the best for you, May." The young Spider said, smirking as he filled up two glasses of water.

It was nice to see his aunt in such good spirits despite her hard day at work. Peter just hoped telling her about the upcoming mission in Lagos wouldn't do anything to ruin it.

...

Peter woke up early the next morning and ate a quick breakfast consisting of a cereal bar with a glass of cold milk. He was very excited to visit the renowned Dr. Foster's lab. Thor was giving him a lift to New Mexico and he couldn't wait for the God of thunder to arrive.

He just hoped Thor was able to read his address that Maria had provided for him.

The webslinger's eyes spared a glance at the door to his aunt's room and it brought to mind the conversation they had last night. After they finished eating dinner, Peter told her about how he was asked to take part in a mission with the Avengers in Lagos. To her credit, his aunt had stayed very calm as she listened to all the details he could provide. May took a moment to think after he explained everything and it was silent for a long while before she finally smiled with some hesitation.

"Thank you for telling me, Peter." She whispered, holding her beloved nephew's hand. "As much as I don't want you to go...I know this means a lot to you and you being there would help save a lot of innocent lives."

"If you don't want me to go, I'll stay behind." He had offered.

May shook her head and pulled Peter into a hug. "It's alright. The team needs you...just promise me you'll be careful and come back safely."

"I will." Peter said softly, holding her close. The way her body was quivering out of fear was not lost to him. "I promise."

"Good...and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

"When you find that Rumlow bastard and his goons, kick their asses for me."

Peter smirked as his mind snapped back to the present. His aunt could be such a badass when she wanted to be. The door slowly opened and May stepped out from her room.

"Good morning." She greeted before a yawn escaped her lips.

"Hey, May. I made you some wheat cakes with your favourite coffee."

May smiled as she ruffled Peter's hair. "You really are the best nephew ever. Is Thor here yet?"

"Not yet. He should arriving any minute now though...assuming he doesn't get lost."

"I still can't believe I'm about to meet the God of thunder." She muttered. "Is he actually a God?"

Peter thought about it for a second. "I guess so. Mr. Stark thinks the Asgardians are just highly evolved and advanced aliens."

"...How are the Asgardians aliens if they look like the rest of us?"

"That's what I said to Mr. Stark. I've never really asked Thor about it though."

Their doorbell rang and the young Spider got up to open the door. Thor stood on the other side in the hall, dressed nicely in the clothes of Midgard. He was holding an umbrella in his right hand for some reason.

"Good morning, young Parker." The son of Odin greeted with a happy grin. "I apologize for taking so long. It took me some time to find your home."

"It's alright." Peter reassured before he gestured to his aunt. "Thor, I'd like you to meet my Aunt May."

Thor gave a charming smile as he took May's hand and pecked a kiss on the back of her fingers. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, May. I see Natasha was not jesting when she described you as a woman of exceptional beauty."

"T-thank you." May said, blushing at the compliment. "It's nice to meet you too. Would you like to join us for breakfast?"

"A kind offer but I'm afraid I've already eaten. Another time soon though, perhaps?"

Peter couldn't tell if Thor was hitting on his aunt like Mr. Stark did when they first met or if he was just being polite...it was probably the latter though since there wasn't a creeped out feeling flowing through him as he watched them interact.

"Of course. Any friend of Peter's is always welcome here."

"Wonderful! I shall remember to come back here soon." Thor said before he turned to Peter. "Shall we go? Jane and Darcy await your arrival."

Peter nodded and left to get his bag. The son of Odin kissed May's hand once more before he left to go wait outside in the hall. Quickly checking to see that he hadn't forgotten anything, the young Spider stopped at the front door and turned to face his aunt.

May gave her beloved nephew a hug. "Have fun, Peter. Let me know if you'll be home late."

"I will. Get some more rest, okay? I know for a fact that you're still tired."

"Don't worry, I plan to sleep as much as I can today." His aunt said, pressing her lips on Peter's forehead. "I larb you."

"Larb you too." Peter kissed the side of May's face before he left to catch up with Thor.

The God of thunder was waiting patiently in the hallway and smiled when he saw the young Spider approach.

"All set then?" He clapped a powerful hand on Peter's back. "We'll head to the rooftop. That way, nothing here will be disturbed when I call on Heimdall to open the Bifrost."

Peter nodded before he pointed at the umbrella. "...I'm guessing that's Mjolnir in disguise?"

"Indeed. How did you figure that out?"

"I've never seen you go anywhere without your hammer before and the way you were holding it in the middle instead of the handle was kind of suspicious."

Thor looked impressed. "You have keen powers of observation, young Parker. I don't know which way it is to the top of this building. Would you mind showing me how to get there?"

The young Spider led the way to the end of the hall and they made their way up the emergency stairwell. Thankfully, he and his aunt only lived one floor below the rooftop so it only took traveling up one flight of stairs to reach and open the doors that led out to their destination.

"Best not to keep Jane waiting any longer." Thor murmured, tapping the umbrella onto the ground. A bolt of lightning struck the umbrella before it turned back into Mjolnir. "I'll have Heimdall transport us from here to her lab...stay close to me."

Peter stood next to Thor and watched as he raised the hammer to the sky. He had seen the God of thunder travel like this many times before and was curious to find out what it was like. However it might've worked, the young Spider knew without a doubt it'd be one of the coolest things to experience.

"Heimdall! open the Bifrost and take us to Jane Foster's lab!"

Nothing happened at first but soon a burst of bright multi-coloured lights shot down from the sky and enveloped the two Avengers. Peter felt himself begin to float before he and Thor were suddenly pulled into the sky...leaving nothing but a scorched rune mark on the rooftop of the apartment building.

...

 _Puente Antiguo, New Mexico..._

Jane was humming a little tune to herself as she organized some of her books. Peter would be arriving with Thor any minute now and she didn't want the young man to think her lab was a mess. Granted it wasn't as advanced or fancy as Tony Stark's laboratory but she was proud of the workspace she had here.

Thankfully, there wasn't much of a mess to begin with and so it didn't take long to tidy everything up. She was really forward to seeing how much Peter understood about her research...maybe he could even find something new that might help prove her theories.

"You're up early."

Jane looked up to see her intern stumbling in as she yawned. Darcy looked like she had just woken up...which didn't surprise her boss. Her intern wasn't a morning person at all.

"It's eight in the morning." She said, taking a sip of her coffee. "I always wake up at this time...and you were supposed to help me clean the lab, remember?"

Darcy sat down at her desk and rubbed her tired eyes. "Uh, sorry."

"You might want to brush your teeth. Peter's going to be here soon with Thor."

That seemed to help wake her intern up quickly as she got out of her seat in a panic and rushed to the bathroom. Jane just shook her head out of amusement before she moved to check some of her equipment for any data it may have picked up last night.

Her intern soon stepped out of the bathroom and she quickly poured herself a cup of coffee to help keep her awake. Moving to her boss's side, Darcy drank some of her coffee before she began to tidy up some of the infrared photos scattered all over the table.

"You seem really excited about Spider-Man coming here."

Darcy shrugged with a smile. "I like Peter. He's a pretty cool dude. Most guys his age are stupid stuck-up brats and self-centred...but not him."

Jane nodded in agreement. She herself was fond of Peter...he was a kind and modest young man. Most folks would've tried to use the powers he got for their own selfish gain but Peter chose instead to become Spider-Man so he could help save lives.

She couldn't help but admire Peter for choosing such a noble but difficult path to do good in the world.

Something suddenly landed with a loud boom outside in the field. Jane just smirked as she walked to the back of the building. Darcy quickly followed her and they made their way out to the field...where a large rune mark was burned onto the ground.

And standing in the middle of it was Thor and Peter.

"Whoa...are we here already?" The young Spider asked, looking both a little dazed and excited.

Thor chuckled as his hammer shape-shifted back into its umbrella disguise. "Indeed we are. How did you like your first time traveling by the power of the Bifrost?"

"It was awesome! I never thought I'd get to see so many different stars up close."

"Hey, you two." Jane greeted, walking up to them with a big grin. "Welcome to Puente Antiguo, Peter. How have you been?"

"I'm doing well." Spider-Man shook her hand and looked around. "Is this your lab, Dr. Foster?"

"Just call me Jane and yes, this is where my research takes place. I know it isn't as fancy as Tony Stark's labs but..."

"What? No, your lab is great. Thor told me you made most of your equipment yourself. I think that's pretty cool."

Jane smiled warmly at the compliment. "Thank you, Peter. Why don't we go inside and get started then?"

"What's up, Spider-Man?" Darcy said, grinning as she gave Peter a hug. "Don't worry, we haven't told anyone about your secret identity."

"I know and thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate that."

"Anytime. We interns have to stick together, right?" She held out her fist.

Peter smirked and bumped his fist against hers. "Damn right we do."

As they entered the lab, Thor headed to the kitchen first so he could get a drink. Coming to this little town was always nice but the dry desert air here always made him thirsty. Darcy led Peter to the table where she worked and pulled out a chair for him.

"So how much do you know about wormholes?" Jane asked, sitting in front of the young Spider with her notebook in hand.

Spider-Man thought for a moment. He did some reading about the science of her work last night to help refresh his memory. "Most of the basics and some of the intermediate facts. Visually speaking, an Einstein-Rosen bridge or wormhole can be described as a tunnel with two ends. Both ends are usually separate points of destinations or time. Einstein-Rosen bridges theoretically are traversable but only if exotic matter with negative energy density is used to stabilize them. Otherwise, it would just collapse too quickly."

"T-that's right." Jane said as she looked at Peter in awe. He already understood what took most university students years to fully grasp.

"I still don't get it." Darcy was impressed and confused at the same time. "How does this thing work?"

Peter took a piece of paper and drew two dots on opposite ends of the sheet. "See the space in between these two points? That's the distance required to be traveled in order to reach from one end to another. The paper represents a plane in the space-time continuum."

Her intern indicated she was following so far with a nod as the young Spider folded the piece of paper. Now the two dots were right on top of each other. "What an Einstein-Rosen bridge does is pull and connect these points closer so it makes the distance relatively shorter and easier to travel."

"Oh! So it basically creates a shortcut. I get it now!" Darcy said with a excited smile before she turned to Jane. "How come you and Erik never explained it to me this way?"

Her boss was asking herself the same thing. Using something like Peter's simple method of explaining would've saved herself and Erik a lot of repeated attempts in teaching her intern the basics of her research. Not that Darcy was dumb or anything, far from it but her area of expertise was a whole other field of science.

"I'm impressed, Peter. You already have a solid understanding of the science behind my theories." Jane praised before her cellphone rang. She recognized the calling number as that of her old friend's, Dr. Erik Selvig.

"Sorry, I have to take this. Darcy, could you show Peter around the lab?"

Darcy nodded and took Peter's hand while her boss went off to the side to talk to her colleague. Thor was still in the kitchen, busy looking for something in the cupboards and drawers.

"So this is the stuff we use to record atmospheric data." She pointed to a couple of black telescopes. They were hooked up to various laptops that seemed to be taking both infrared and electromagnetic readings.

Her lips then twitched into a playful grin when she gestured to their research car. "You're gonna like this...this is the vehicle we hit Thor with when we first met him."

"Whoa, seriously?" Peter laughed as he placed his hand on the vehicle. "You said you guys hit him twice, right?"

"Yep. Once with the side of the car and the other time was when he walked behind the vehicle just as Jane was backing it up."

The victim of said incidents suddenly came up to them with a worried look on his face. "Darcy! I need your help."

"Whoa, what's wrong?"

"I cannot find any of those delicious pop-tarts."

Darcy shared a funny look with Peter before she spoke. "Uh, yeah. We ran out a few days ago. I was actually planning to buy some more today."

"Let us go now and procure more. I shall accompany you." Thor said and before she could say anything, the God of thunder was already leaving to grab his jacket.

Peter patted the beautiful intern's back. "Go ahead. I'll find a way to keep myself busy here. Besides, if you don't go with him...Thor might accidentally end up going to the pet store to buy pop-tarts."

Darcy giggled at the funny thought before she nodded and ran outside to catch up with Thor. Peter decided to take another look at the laptops. Maybe he was mistaken but it seemed to be working a little slower than it should be.

The young Spider checked the internal hardware and smirked when he confirmed there was nothing broken or missing. It was just running on an old operating system. This was presumably the case for most of Jane's gear too. The good doctor was still outside, busy talking away to whomever had called her earlier.

Peter thought for a moment before he sat down in front of a laptop and began to type away.

...

"Thanks for calling, Erik. I'll talk to you later."

Jane hanged up her phone and noticed her intern walking back with Thor. In their hands was a couple of grocery bags filled with boxes.

"Where'd you guys go?" She asked.

Darcy handed her bags to the God of thunder before she stopped in front of her boss. Thor went on inside with a childlike smile on his face, eager to partake in some of the pop-tarts they just bought.

"We went to go buy some pop-tarts." Her intern said with a shrug. "Thor got kind of hungry for them."

Her boss folded her arms. "So you left our guest here all by himself?"

"Peter asked me to go with Thor so he wouldn't get lost." Darcy defended. "Besides, he said he'd find a way to keep himself busy."

"Oh god, I hope Peter isn't bored out of his mind right now." Her boss muttered as she ran back inside. Darcy quickly followed her, feeling bad for leaving the young Spider behind.

Jane looked around the kitchen but only saw her ex-boyfriend...who was happily eating his strawberry pop-tarts at the table. Darcy checked the back of the lab and the bathrooms, only to find them empty.

"Thor, have you seen Peter?"

The God of thunder nodded and pointed to her intern's workstation. "Young Parker is right there. It appears he's busy fixing your equipment."

Jane and Darcy looked to where Thor was pointing and they spotted Peter, typing away on one of their laptops. Most of their data recording and sensor equipment was stacked on the table as well for some reason.

"Peter? What are you doing?" Jane asked as she and Darcy approached him from behind.

The young Spider turned around in his seat and greeted them with a smile. "Oh, hey. Welcome back, Darcy. Did you find those pop-tarts Thor wanted?"

The pretty intern nodded as she sat down next to Peter. "Yep. We bought a dozen boxes...although I'm pretty sure Thor's already eaten through half of them by now."

"What have you been working on?" Dr. Foster asked, taking a seat beside Peter on the left.

"Uh...well, I noticed that most of your equipment was running on an outdated operating system. I took the liberty of upgrading it so now they should be able to record data more quickly and accurately. I also modified some of the sensors so they're able to detect high levels of negative energy density. It's not perfect but at the very least, they might give you a general direction of where an Einstein-Rosen bridge could be."

The astonished look on the astrophysicist's face was a sight to behold as she moved to test some of her equipment so she could see for herself. Darcy got up to help her boss while Peter nervously watched on. Thor came up behind the young Spider while nibbling away on a pop-tart. In his hand was a plateful of chocolate and strawberry flavoured pop-tarts.

"What's gotten Jane so excited?" The God of thunder asked, offering the plate to the young Spider.

Peter grabbed a chocolate pop-tart and took a small bite. "She's testing her equipment to see if the upgraded O.S. I made works right. Man, I really hope it does."

"I'm sure it will. Have faith in your good efforts, Man of Spiders."

Jane came rushing back with the biggest grin on her face and embraced Peter as hard as she could. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Not only is our stuff working better than before but you may've just given us the one thing we need to prove some of our theories to be true."

The young Spider smiled as he gently patted her back. "It was nothing. I'm just glad I was able to help."

"You're amazing, you know that?" She whispered, pecking a grateful kiss on Peter's cheek. "Thank you so much."

Darcy hugged Peter from behind and looked at her boss with pouted lips. "Can we keep him?"

Jane was really tempted to say yes...if only Tony Stark hadn't asked Peter to be his intern first.

...

\- **I don't know if Thor's capable of using the Bifrost to travel without having to go to Asgard first but for the sake of this part, I just assumed he can. Heimdall hasn't been exiled yet either...I don't think Loki exiled him right away after the events of the Dark World.**

 **\- I hope you all liked it. Till next time, everyone.**


	9. Chapter 9

\- **Summer's barely over and already the autumn season has begun to settle in here at home. It wouldn't surprise me if it started snowing at the end of September...or possibly even earlier than that.**

\- **It took me a long time to finish this. I had to backtrack and rewrite a few parts before I thought it was okay. At least I hope it turned out okay.**

 **I hope you enjoy it. Take your time reading.**

 **...**

When lunchtime came around, Jane and Darcy took Thor and Peter to Isabelle's diner. The large amount of food that Thor ordered didn't surprise them but the sight of so many meals brought over to their table did cause some of the other patrons to look at the God of thunder weirdly.

Peter couldn't stop chuckling at some of their bewildered expressions as he dug into his own lunch. Thor happily ate his food, oblivious to all the looks thrown his way. He wasn't pigging out...the son of Odin was just simply eating really fast.

"You've ordered quite a bit too, Peter." Jane said, looking at his plate. While it wasn't as much as Thor's, the meal he ordered was meant to feed at least two people. "Did you not eat breakfast or something?"

"No, I did. My metabolism is just a little faster than regular humans." The young Spider explained in a quiet voice. "So I have to eat more to provide the necessary energy for my body to function."

Jane nodded in understanding while Darcy just frowned. "Man, I wish I could eat as much as you guys and not ever have to worry about my weight."

Spider-Man looked over to Thor...who was halfway through eating all the meals he ordered. His own plate was almost empty while the famous astrophysicist and her intern were already finished eating.

"I don't think you have to worry about that. You look good already." Peter said before he smiled apologetically at the famous astrophysicist. "Sorry if we're eating a bit too much. I'd be more than happy to foot my part of the bill."

Jane knew Peter was being genuinely honest when he praised Darcy and she couldn't help but quietly chuckle as her intern blushed at the compliment.

"It's alright. Paying for lunch is the least I can do after what you did to help us."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Jane smiled at the young Spider. "But thank you for offering."

Peter nodded before he turned his attention back to the son of Odin...who had just finished eating and was now leaning back on his seat with a content smile.

"You alright, Thor? I think you ate enough to feed a small army."

"I am well, Man of Spiders." The God of thunder said, ruffling Peter's hair. "The food here is delectable as always."

The young Spider agreed wholeheartedly. The food made in this diner was really good and the portions they gave was generously large.

"If only Volstagg could see you now." Peter joked, patting the God of thunder's gut. Thor had told him stories about his friends, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Whenever he mentioned Volstagg, he often talked about his infamous appetite and round belly.

Thor laughed loudly. "He'd be proud of my eating so much, young Parker. As he would you...your ability to consume food almost dwarfs my own."

Jane and her intern grinned as they watched the two Avengers. The way they interacted with one another was just adorable, almost like that of a young brother messing around with his older brother.

Darcy pulled out her phone and discreetly snapped a photo of Peter and Thor laughing together. She even titled it the 'Brotherly Thunder and Spider.'

"Send that to me later." Her boss whispered before she rose from her seat. "Now that we're all fed, we should probably head back."

Peter and Thor nodded as they grabbed their coats and exited the diner with Darcy. Jane stayed behind for a moment to pay the bill...and thankfully, it wasn't as expensive as she thought it'd be.

"So who's the new guy, Jane?" Izzy asked, handing her a receipt.

"Peter? He's a friend visiting from New York...why?"

"Your intern hasn't taken her eyes off him since you all got here. Can't say I blame her...he's a good looking young man."

Jane smirked as she put away her wallet. "No arguments here. Thanks again for lunch, Izzy."

The friendly owner of the diner waved goodbye. "Have a nice day!"

The famous astrophysicist waved back before she left the diner. She caught up to the two Avengers and Darcy, who were in the middle of posing for a group photo. Jane snuck in from behind and wrapped her arms around Peter and Thor just as Darcy took the picture.

"Nice timing, Jane." Her intern said before she showed them the picture. Every one of them was smiling happily at the camera, with Thor and Darcy doing the victory gesture with their fingers.

"Thank you. Let's get back to the lab...I want us to work with Peter more before he has to go home."

Darcy nodded before she took Peter's hand and led the way back to their lab. Jane just smirked at the sight as she and Thor quickly followed the two interns.

...

"Thinking about Peter?"

Wanda looked away from the window and saw Hill smiling as she sat down next to her. Her hands were holding two cups of tea and she offered one to the Scarlet Witch. She and Maria had spent most of the morning with Natasha, discussing the idea of making a new and more protective outfit for her to wear whenever there was a mission.

After that, Wanda did training drills with her and Black Widow in the workout room for an hour before they decided to break for lunch. The Scarlet Witch was the first to finish eating and she sat down in the lounge area...thinking about her beloved Peter as she gazed out the window.

"Thank you." The beautiful Sokovian woman said, accepting the hot drink. "...I miss Peter. I've never liked being away from him for too long. Without him here, things just seem so boring and mundane."

It wasn't just that...Peter made her feel safe and accepted. Being around Natasha and Hill was great too but it wasn't the same level of comfort that her boyfriend's presence provided.

Maria nodded as she drank some of her tea. "I know what you mean. I miss your boyfriend too. If it weren't for him, I probably would've shot myself out of boredom from working here a long time ago."

She didn't really hate her job. It's just that most of the time she was at her desk, dealing with various forms of paperwork or reports...and such a task tended to get monotonous pretty quickly. Back when she used to work for SHIELD, there was at least the occasional field work every now and then to keep her busy.

If it weren't for her training sessions with Natasha and Wanda or Peter coming over to talk and assist her whenever he was here, Hill was certain she would've gone insane from the boredom of her routine a long time ago.

"Wait...you know?"

"What? That you and Peter are together now?" Hill said with a smirk. "Of course we know. After all, you did make out with Peter in front of us yesterday."

The beautiful Sokovian woman hid her blushing face with her hands...she had completely forgotten the others were still there when she kissed Peter in the lab.

Maria chuckled as she wrapped her arm around Wanda's shoulders. "No need to feel embarassed. Natasha and I are happy for you both."

The Black Widow walked into the room and greeted the two with a wave before she sat down on the other side of Wanda.

"Hey, you two. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Not at all. We were just talking about Wanda's new relationship with Peter."

"Ah, that's right." Natasha smiled at the Scarlet Witch. "I always knew you two looked good together. I'm happy for you and Peter."

She smiled back. "Thank you."

The Black Widow's lips then quirked into a devious smirk...the sight of which made the beautiful Sokovian woman feel a little uneasy. "May I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure." She said hesitantly before taking a sip of the tea Maria had brought her.

"How good of a kisser is Peter?"

Wanda coughed as the tea nearly got caught in her throat. "W-what?"

Hill gently patted her back...she was curious to know as well. "We're just wondering how good it felt. You looked like you were in heaven when Peter started to french kiss you yesterday."

If her face turned anymore red, the beautiful Sokovian woman was certain her head would start blowing out steam soon.

"...It was amazing." Wanda lovingly smiled as she remembered the delightful sensation of Peter's lips pressing against hers. "It's hard for me to describe in words. You'd have to kiss Peter yourself to understand how wonderful it feels."

Natasha grinned. "Is that so? Maybe I should kiss Peter when he comes back then."

"I wouldn't mind." Maria admitted with a shrug.

"Wait, what?" An ugly sense of jealousy quickly flared up in the Scarlet Witch's heart.

The Black Widow chuckled as she gently gripped Wanda's shoulder. "Relax, we're just teasing you."

Wanda breathed a sigh of relief...although she didn't feel entirely convinced by Natasha's words.

"So when is Peter returning today?" Hill asked.

"Later in the afternoon. He and Thor should be back by then."

"Peter must be having fun right now." Natasha said, looking out the window with a smile. "It's not everyday he gets to work with one of his favourite scientists."

...

Darcy tiredly sighed as she leaned back in her seat. After they all returned from the diner, Jane asked for her to compile all the data their sensors had recorded last night. It wasn't a surprise to see the readings were still the same as before but thanks to Peter upgrading their equipment, they now had a good chance of finding more accurate data to help their research.

"You okay?" The young Spider asked, looking away from the research papers in his hands.

Darcy nodded, taking her glasses off. "I'm alright. My eyes are just a bit sore from looking at this screen for so long."

Peter looked thoughtful for a moment before he went to the bathroom. Grabbing a clean towel, the webslinger soaked it with warm water and quickly returned to his seat.

"Here, wash your eyes with this and hold it there for a minute." Peter said, handing Darcy the towel. "Your eyes are sore because they're dried out from being kept open for too long. This should help."

The beautiful intern did as he instructed and gently rubbed her eyes with the towel. The warmth of the soft fabric felt soothing as the water relieved the dryness in her eyes. When a minute passed, Darcy removed the towel and grinned when she realized it no longer hurt to blink.

"Wow, that feels a lot better." She smiled gratefully at the young Spider."Thanks, Peter."

"Anytime."

"Want to take a break?" The beautiful intern asked, checking the time on the clock. "We've been sitting here for a few hours."

Peter nodded. "Sounds good. What should we do?"

"I've got an idea." Darcy stood up and gestured for him to follow. "Come with me."

She led the way to a staircase in the back of the lab. Climbing up the stairs, Darcy opened a hatch door at the end of it...and they stepped out onto the roof on the other side.

"Whoa..." Peter marveled at the breathtaking sight of the town below. "This is awesome!"

"I know, right? We've got the best view of the town here."

Darcy sat down near the edge before she turned to Peter and patted the spot next to her. The young Spider obliged and took a seat beside her.

"Jane and I like to come up here a lot when we need to get away from work for a moment." She said, her legs swinging back and forth over the edge. "Just watching the view here helps us to relax."

"I can see why. It's beautiful...thank you for showing me."

Darcy smiled as she rested her head on Peter's shoulder. "My pleasure, dude. I'm glad you came to visit us."

The two interns enjoyed the spectacular sight of the quaint little town in silence. Peter understood why Jane would choose to have her lab here...Puentes Antiguo was a nice quiet place to work in.

"So this is where you guys are. Enjoying the view?"

Peter and Darcy looked behind them and saw her boss waving as she approached. The two interns waved back, making room for her to sit.

Jane took a seat and gratefully smiled at the young Spider. "...Thank you again for helping us with our equipment."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad I was able to help."

Jane shook her head. "Peter, you did more than just help. You've given us a great chance to prove our years of research wasn't for nothing. I have a good feeling we'll find what we've been looking for and it's thanks in no small part to your amazing efforts."

Peter only smiled with his cheeks turning a twinge of pink...he still wasn't used to recieving praise or gratitude at all.

Darcy nearly squealed at how adorable Peter looked. "Aw, you look so cute!"

The beautiful intern and her boss giggled as they watched Spider-Man's face blush a deeper red. They were glad he came to visit them today. Spending time with Peter had been a lot of fun and Jane and Darcy really hoped they would get to hang out with him again soon.

"...Man of Spiders?" Thor called out, tapping Peter's shoulder from behind. "It is late in the afternoon. We should go before the evening is upon us."

The young Spider nodded with reluctance before he followed the God of thunder back down to the lab. Darcy and Jane walked behind the two Avengers, a little saddened that their new friend had to leave now.

"I'll get your bag." Jane whispered, giving Peter's arm a gentle squeeze before she moved to get his stuff.

Her intern grabbed his coat for him and held it out. Peter nodded in thanks as he slipped his arms into the sleeves.

"All set?" Thor asked with the disguised Mjolnir in hand. "Let us go outside then."

The God of thunder led the way to the field in the back of the lab. Standing next to the rune mark that had been scorched onto the ground when they arrived earlier, Jane handed Peter his bag.

"I've put some of my latest research papers in your bag in case you want to read them." The famous astrophysicist said. "Feel free to come see us anytime. You're always welcome here."

"I will. Thank you for the papers. I can't wait to start reading them tonight."

Jane smiled as she gave Peter a big hug. The young Spider held her close for a moment before he let go and turned to Darcy.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye for now. I hope you'll visit us again soon."

Spidey nodded. "Of course I will. Like you said...us interns have to stick together, right?"

"You bet your nice tight ass we do." Darcy smirked before she leaned in and pecked a kiss on Peter's cheek. "See you later, okay?"

"Y-yeah." Peter said, doing his best to keep his face from turning red.

There was a hint of amusement in Thor's blue eyes as he watched the young Spider. Peter met his gaze and shook his head with a grin before he stood next to the son of Odin.

"Take care of yourself, Thor." Jane ordered. She and her intern waved goodbye to the two Avengers. "That goes for you as well, Spider-Man."

"Yes, ma'am."

Peter gave her a playful salute before the God of thunder raised his hammer to the sky. A burst of bright multi-coloured lights enveloped around the two Avengers and swiftly pulled them into the sky, leaving nothing but another scorched rune beside the first one.

"...You really like Peter, don't you?" Jane teasingly grinned at her intern.

Darcy just smiled with a twinge of pink in her cheeks, making her boss chuckle a bit before they headed back inside.

...

\- **Puentes Antiguo looks to be a cold and dry place. It doesn't seem like the people who live there would head outside without putting on a jacket first.**

 **\- It might be a while until I can update again but I'll do my best. Till next time, folks. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	10. Chapter 10

\- **The new Spider-Man game has come out recently and it looks really good. I'd play it but I don't have a PS4 nor do I have the money to afford another console right now.**

 **\- I might not feature the Iron Spider suit in this story. As much as I liked it in the films, it reminds me too much of the Superior Spider-Man's suit...and I think we'd all rather forget that mess of a story arc ever existed.**

 **I hope you enjoy this. Take your time reading.**

 **...**

"Thanks for the lift, Thor." Spider-Man said as he stepped out of the rune symbol freshly burned into the grass.

The God of thunder ruffled Peter's hair. "You are welcome, young Parker. Anytime you wish to visit Jane and Darcy, you let me know and I will be glad to take you there."

"Thank you...are you sure though? I wouldn't want to trouble you."

"It is no trouble at all, I assure you. Now I believe we should head inside and tell the others of our return."

Spidey followed the God of thunder as they entered the compound together. Thor headed for the living area while he went the opposite way. There was one person Peter really wanted to see at the moment and he couldn't wait to find her.

 _"Welcome back, Peter."_ FRIDAY greeted.

"Hi, FRIDAY. Do you know where Wanda is?"

 _"Ms. Maximoff is currently in her room reading. Would you like me to inform her you've returned?"_

"No, thank you. I'll let her know myself."

 _"As you wish. It's nice to have you back."_ FRIDAY said, sounding very happy.

Peter grinned. "Thanks, FRIDAY."

The young Spider continued to walk down the hall and eventually ran into Maria, who smirked when she saw him.

"Welcome home." She greeted, giving Peter a hug. "How was your day with Dr. Foster?"

"It went great! I had a lot of fun working with her and Darcy."

"I'm glad to hear that. By the way, congratulations on your new relationship with Wanda."

Peter nervously grinned as he scratched the back of his head. "T-thank you."

"Nat and I always knew you two looked good together." Hill said with a bit of fondness in her eyes. "Are you going to her room?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Then do so quietly. I checked in on Wanda earlier and she's asleep right now." She advised.

He nodded. "Thanks for letting me know."

Maria ruffled Peter's hair. "Anytime."

Spidey gave her a hug before he made his way to the Scarlet Witch's room. Slowly opening the door, he slipped inside quietly so as to not wake his girlfriend by accident. Peter removed his coat and set it down a chair before he knelt next to the bed. Wanda was cuddling her pillow as she slept and he couldn't help but smile...even when sleeping, she still looked so beautiful.

There was a half opened novel lying next to her hand...she must've fallen asleep in the midst of reading her book.

"Wanda?" He whispered, brushing some of her hair out of her face.

"Hmm..." She mumbled as her eyes opened. "P-peter?"

Peter waved. "Hey there, sleeping beauty."

Wanda slowly sat up before she threw her arms around Peter with a smile. "When did you get back?"

"Just now." He said, holding her close. "How was your day?"

"It was alright. I spent most of the morning training with Maria and Natasha. After we had lunch, I came back here to read until I fell asleep by accident."

"Sorry if I woke you up too early."

Wanda caressed Peter's face. "It's okay. You didn't disturb my sleep. How is Jane and Darcy doing?"

"They're doing good. I had a lot of fun working with them in their lab. Their equipment was a little outdated so I upgraded their internal operating systems...I just hope it helps them a bit."

"Knowing how smart you are, I'm sure it will." The beautiful Sokovian woman reassured before she suddenly yawned.

"Looks like you're still tired...how about you take another nap?" He suggested. "Dinner's not for another two hours anyways."

Wanda nodded before her mouth quirked into a smirk. She swiftly pulled Peter down onto her bed and held on to him like he was a teddy bear.

"Stay with me?" The Scarlet Witch asked, snuggling her head on Peter's well-toned chest.

Peter pecked a kiss on her forehead. "Of course I will...I love you."

"I love you too, Peter." She whispered as her eyes closed. The comfortable warmth of Peter's body helped lull her back to sleep very quickly.

His own eyes started to grow heavy and Peter took a moment to pull up the blankets before sleep finally overtook him.

...

When Wanda woke up, the first thing she noticed was the lack of Peter's chest that had served as her very comfortable pillow. She looked around for a moment before her lips frowned when there wasn't any trace of her boyfriend in her room.

Fortunately, Peter came back into the room a split second later...carrying a tray of food in his hands.

Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you had left for home without telling me."

"I'd never do that to you." Peter reassured before he set the tray down. "We were supposed to have pizza but Thor and the others ate it all...though I suppose we did kind of oversleep. So I made dinner for us instead."

He lifted the lid, revealing a large pan filled with lasagna. Beside the pasta dish were two separate plates and two large glasses of water.

Wanda nearly drooled as the delicious scent reached her nose. "Isn't that the same lasagna we had at your place?"

"It is. Shall we eat?"

The Scarlet Witch nodded and joined Peter on the floor. He filled her plate with a generous portion of the famous Parker lasagna and offered it to her. Wanda nodded in thanks before she took the plate and eagerly dug into her food.

"Delicious as always." She praised, happily chewing away at the tasty pasta meal.

Peter grinned as he ate his own portion. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love your cooking...next time you and I should cook together. I can teach you some Sokovian recipes."

"Really? That'd be cool!"

Wanda giggled at the expression of awe on Peter's face. It was just so cute and innocent. "How about tomorrow morning then? I will teach you how to make some of the desserts we had in Sokovia."

"Sounds good. I can't wait to get started."

Someone knocked on her door from the other side. "Wanda? Are you awake?"

The young couple recognized the voice as that of Hill's. "Yes. Come in."

Maria came through the door with Natasha following behind her...and in the Black Widow's hands held another tray.

"Thought you two might like some dessert." She said, lifting the lid. Laid out on the tray beneath were four slices of chocolate cake. "...Is that the same lasagna you made for dinner at your place?"

"Yep. Would you like some? I made plenty."

"I can never say no to your cooking." Natasha said before she filled her plate with some of the lasagna. "Thanks, _Маленький паук."_

Hill scooped up what was left and tried some of the pasta dish Spider-Man made. Her eyes immediately lit up as the rich savory flavours hit her tongue.

"You weren't kidding, Nat." She muttered, eagerly taking another bite. "This is really good."

The Black Widow smirked as she ate her bit of lasagna. "Now you know why I'm always excited to go to my little Spider's house for dinner."

Maria nodded. "Your cooking is amazing, Peter...is it alright if I come with Natasha to your place for dinner sometime?"

"Of course. Aunt May would love to meet you."

"I'd love to meet her too."

Wanda smiled at the thought of her boyfriend's kind aunt. "May's a wonderful woman and quite beautiful too. You'll really like her."

Natasha turned on the tv in Wanda's room and randomly flipped through the channels. "What do you guys think about a movie? We can enjoy our food while we're watching it."

Maria and Wanda nodded at the idea. It sounded like fun.

"Sounds good. What movie are we watching?" Hill asked.

Peter was about to make a suggestion when he noticed the time. "Oh man, I forgot to call Aunt May and tell her I wouldn't be home for dinner."

"It's pretty late now. Let her know you'll spend the night here." Black Widow said.

Her little Spider felt a little hesitant about it until his girlfriend looked at him with pleading eyes.

"...Alright. I'll call May and let her know I'm staying."

Wanda visibly relaxed and gave Peter a loving smile. Spider-Man smiled back before he stepped out for a moment and dialed his aunt's number.

" _Peter?"_

"Hey, May."

" _Thank goodness you called. I was afraid something had happened to you."_

Peter leaned against the wall. "Don't worry, I'm alright. I was just taking a nap at the compound after I got back from Jane's lab and I kinda overslept by accident."

May breathed a sigh of relief. " _I see. So are you coming home now or will you be staying there for tonight?"_

"I talked to the others. It's already late in the evening and they said it'd be best if I stay here for tonight."

" _I agree. Just come home before dinner tomorrow, okay?"_

"I will. How are you feeling?"

 _"I'm a lot better now that I've gotten more sleep."_ His aunt smiled on the other line. " _I think I will take tomorrow off too before I go back to work."_

"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow then."

" _Okay. I love you, Peter."_

"I love you too, May."

Aunt May was the first to hang up. Spidey put his phone away before he went back to Wanda's room. Hill and Natasha had made themselves comfortable on her bed with the Scarlet Witch seated beside the Black Widow. They were watching the movie being played with various degrees of interest.

"What are we watching?" He asked, sitting next to his girlfriend.

"Jurassic World." Wanda whispered as she laid her head on Peter's shoulder. "I've never seen it before but I'm liking the story so far. How's your aunt?"

"Feeling a lot better now. May's taking another day off before she goes back to work."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad she's letting herself relax more."

Peter nodded in agreement. "Me too."

The movie continued to play out as they watched in silence. Wanda winced a little everytime she saw someone get eaten by the Indominus Rex while Maria and Nat didn't even bat an eye. Peter had already seen the movie before but he still enjoyed watching it nevertheless. He made sure not to say anything that might spoil the story for the others.

"I can't believe they're going at it with non-lethals..." Natasha muttered as they watched the scene where the ACU team gets attacked by the Indominus Rex.

"No kidding." Maria said. "At least a few of them managed to get away."

"None of them would've died at all if Claire had just listened to Owen."

The young couple couldn't help but agree...it was clear Owen knew what he was talking about in the film but most of the other characters didn't listen to him because they were more worried about the future of the park rather than the well-being of the people.

Mid-way through the movie, Wanda was starting to feel sleepy again. She did her best to stay awake but the warmth of Peter's body was just so cozy that it didn't take long for her to fall asleep again.

Peter felt a little drowsy himself. The young Spider fought to keep his eyes open for as long as possible but he quietly drifted into a comfortable slumber.

Hill looked over to her right and smiled fondly when she saw Peter and Wanda had fallen asleep in each other arms.

"Hey, Nat..." She whispered, gently elbowing the Black Widow.

Natasha paused the movie. "Yeah?"

Hill motioned for her to come closer. The Black Widow did so...and her lips quirked into a soft smile at the sight of the young couple sleeping next to each other. Wanda's arms were wrapped firmly around Peter's waist as she slept.

Maria got up from the bed and went to turn off the tv. Natasha gently covered them with the blanket so they wouldn't catch a cold in their sleep.

"Good night, _Маленький паук."_ The Black Widow said softly, pecking a kiss on Peter's cheek.

She and Maria took one last look at the sleeping couple before they left for their own rooms to turn in for the night.

...

"So do I stir now?"

Wanda looked at the bowl in Peter's hands. "Yep. Stir it for five minutes and then pour the batter into the pan."

"Got it." Her boyfriend nodded before he began to mix the batter.

The Scarlet Witch resumed kneading the bread dough in her own mixing bowl. The young couple had woken up very early in the morning. Eager to start teaching her boyfriend in how to make some of her favourite Sokovian desserts, she started the lesson almost immediately after breakfast.

Wanda was having a lot of fun cooking with Peter. They shared jokes with each other and she laughed whenever he made a funny mistake. The young Spider laughed along as he did his best to follow her instructions. Peter was doing very well with a little error made on his part every now and then. She had assumed her boyfriend's quick progress was because of his natural skills as a chef but he quickly corrected her on that.

It turns out he'd been practicing how to cook meals for years and his food was barely edible when he first started out. She giggled as her mind pictured a cute young Peter learning how to make food for the first time in the kitchen.

"What's up? Did I make a mistake again or something?"

"Nothing like that. I was just imagining you learning how to cook when you were younger. You must've been a very adorable child."

He shrugged. "Maybe...although Aunt May wasn't thinking that when I once nearly burnt out our oven."

"What did you do?" She asked, looking amused.

"I think I was baking an apple pie for the first time. I actually made it without much trouble...but I accidentally dozed off and the pie ended up catching fire from being in the oven for too long."

"What did Aunt May say?"

"She scolded me pretty hard." Peter said, smirking at the memory. "I was banned from using the kitchen for a week and I had to wash the oven. It took me three days to get it completely clean."

The young Sokovian woman laughed as she poured some water over the dough and kept kneading. Peter poured the mixed batter into the individual molds on the cookie pan before he placed it in the preheated oven.

"I hope I did this okay."

"It'll be fine...so long as you don't doze off." She joked.

Peter hugged his girlfriend from behind. "Don't worry, I've learnt not to make that mistake again. How's the bread going?"

Wanda relaxed herself into Peter's arms with a happy sigh. "Almost ready. All I have to do now is set the dough into the pan."

Pressing the finished bread dough into the loaf pan, she set the timer for forty minutes before placing it in the other oven. Wanda quickly removed her apron and washed her hands in the sink.

"Now we just have to wait for them to finish baking and they'll be ready to eat."

Peter saw a patch of flour still stuck to her face and he gently wiped it away with his hand. Wanda smiled as she wrapped her arms around Peter's neck.

"It'll be a while before the honey bread and cookies are done. What do you want to do?" He asked.

"...I've got an idea." Wanda whispered before she leaned in and kissed Peter.

Peter returned the kiss as his hands gently held onto her hips. He felt her tongue pushing against his teeth, trying to reach the inner parts of his mouth to which he happily gave access to. Wanda moaned out of pleasure when Peter's tongue began to wrestle with hers and she held onto both sides of his face in a desperate effort to kiss Peter even harder.

The young couple fell back onto a chair but their lips remained locked together. Peter's hands roamed all over Wanda's back, eliciting another moan from the young Sokovian woman as her body shivered in delight from his touch.

They were unaware that another person had just entered the room until...

"I hope you two are using protection."

Peter and Wanda jumped at the sudden voice before they slowly broke the kiss. Standing near the counter was Natasha, who was watching them with a devious smirk on her face.

"You two can keep making out if you want." She teased, walking towards them with a cup of coffee in hand. "Just pretend I'm not here."

The blush on both their faces grew a deeper red as Wanda stood up from Peter's lap.

Natasha's nose picked up the scent of something sweet coming from the two ovens. "Did you two make breakfast? It smells really good."

"I made Sokovian honey wheat bread while Peter baked Sokovian butterscotch cookies. They won't be done for another twenty minutes though."

Black Widow grinned in excitement. "I can't wait to try them out. After all, Peter's cooking is the best."

The young Spider checked the cookies in the oven. "So far so good...I just hope they taste good."

"It will." Wanda reassured. "Like Natasha said, you're the best cook we know. I'm sure they'll turn out fine."

"Thank you."

The sweet scent flowing out of the ovens was making Natasha's stomach quietly growl. She was eager to try some of the Sokovian food they made for her breakfast meal.

" _Peter? Karen wants me to let you know your projects are now completed."_ FRIDAY announced.

"Really? That's great! Thanks for letting me know, FRIDAY." Spider-Man said.

Wanda and Natasha looked at Peter curiously, wondering what FRIDAY meant.

"What's she talking about, _Маленький паук_?"

Peter nervously scratched the back of his head. "Well...I kinda made you both a gift while I was working on my new suit."

"Is this the same surprise you told me about?" Wanda asked.

"Yes. Would you like to see them?"

The Black Widow nodded with a smile. "We'd love to."

Wanda wrapped her arm around Peter's and nearly dragged him to his lab. She was eager to finally find out what his surprise for her was. Natasha followed closely behind, chuckling at the young couple's cute antics.

"Karen, you there?" The young Spider asked, looking to the ceiling.

" _Hello, Peter. I assume you are here for the finished items?"_

"Yep. Could you bring out 21-A and B?"

" _Of course."_ Karen said before two metallic canisters slid out from the side of the lab and stopped in front of Spidey.

"...I hope you two like them." Peter said, punching in the codes for both canisters to open.

The doors slid aside, revealing a advanced looking long red jacket on the left while the right held what looked like a slightly more armoured version of the Black Widow's usual suit. There was a large red hourglass symbol engraved on both of the small shoulder pads and part of the armour on the leg portions were coloured red. ( **It's the Black Widow outfit from the Square Enix Kai figure.)**

"Whoa..." Natasha said, very impressed with how good her new suit looked. "You made this for me?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah...the fabric's made out of an advanced polymer that can withstand 5.56 x 45 mm NATO rounds. I upgraded your Widow's bites so they can shoot bolts of compressed lasers in case the bad guys are bullet proof. I also increased the voltage of your taser disks. Now they can drop a man into unconsciousness if you so choose."

Black Widow held it up for a better look and she smiled in approval. "Thank you, _Маленький паук._ I like this a lot. May I try it on?"

"Go ahead. There's a bathroom to the right in the back."

Natasha left to change into the outfit while Wanda put on the red jacket Peter made for her. It was light but she felt very protected wearing it.

"Do you like it?" Peter asked.

The Scarlet Witch nodded. "This jacket is so warm and comfortable. Is it made of the same material as Natasha's suit?"

"Yeah...it even has an internal heater too if the weather gets too cold."

"I love it." Wanda smiled before she gave Peter an affectionate kiss. "Thank you."

"So how do I look?"

The young couple looked to the right and saw Natasha come back...wearing the new suit Peter made for her. The new outfit accentuated every curve of her body just right and with the upgraded weaponry on her person, the Black Widow looked even more dangerous and alluring than before. The outline of the red hourglass symbols on her belt and shoulders were glowing a bright blue.

Peter couldn't help but blush a little. "Y-you look gorgeous."

"I agree." Wanda said, amazed at how stunning Natasha looked in that outfit. "It suits you very well."

"Thank you." Black Widow smirked at the cute expression on her little Spider's face.

"Does it fit okay?"

Natasha nodded. "Yep. I can move freely without any restrictions and it isn't too tight either...one question though."

"Uh, shoot."

"How did you get it to fit me so perfectly?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, FRIDAY helped out with that. She said Mr. Stark had your measurements in his files and gave them to me." Peter said.

"...Is that right?" The Black Widow gave Peter a grateful smile. "I love this suit, _Маленький паук_. I can't wait to try it out in the field. Thank you."

The young Spider grinned. "Anytime, Tasha. I'm glad you like it."

Natasha ruffled Peter's hair...she was going to kill Stark later for his perverse actions. Wanda could sense the cold rage coming from Natasha's mind and when she found who it was directed at, she nearly shuddered.

Tony Stark was a dead man.

...

\- **I've always liked the outfit the Black Widow Kai figure has. It has both a dangerous and beautiful feel to it so I figured it'd be nice to have Peter make the suit for Natasha. The jacket Peter gave Wanda is the same one from Infinity War or at least identical to it.**

\- **Lest we forget, Peter's also a genius inventor who works with the resources that's available to him.**

 **\- I hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review whenever you can and I'll see you all next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

\- **So there will be a bit more action in this one. Writing fight scenes isn't something I'm good at but I took my time and did the best I could. Hopefully it turned out alright.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter barely managed to duck beneath Black Widow's haymaker before he tried to nail her with a right uppercut. If it weren't for her years of combat experience, Natasha wouldn't have been able to avoid Spider-Man's swift punch. Narrowly moving her neck back in time, she quickly kicked out his legs from underneath but Spider-Man planted his hands behind him before he drove both his feet towards her face.

Black Widow raised her arms up to block it but the force of his kick was still enough to knock her backwards across the floor. She tucked her body and gracefully rolled back on to her feet. Before she could blink though, Peter had already leapt towards her with his left fist ready to punch down on her head.

She was able to move her head away just before his fist could make contact and Spider-Man's punch ended up putting a sizeable dent into the ground. Natasha leapt onto Peter and wrapped her legs around his neck, repeatedly driving her right elbow down onto the centre of his head.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Peter repeated as he desperately tried to fend her off. Natasha was driving the point of her elbow too...it felt like she was trying to drill a hole in his head.

His hand finally managed to grab hold of her elbow just as she was about to drive it down again and with a powerful grip on her left leg, Spider-Man threw the Black Widow off his shoulders.

Natasha flipped once through the air before she gracefully landed feet first on the floor.

"You've improved, _Маленький паук_." She said with her hands on her hips. "You've managed to trade blows with me for almost three minutes."

Peter gave her a grin as he rubbed his sore head. "It's all thanks to yours and Ms. Hill's training. I've been practicing everything you two have taught me...though a dozen punching bags might've been destroyed in the process."

Natasha chuckled and motioned for him to follow. "I'm proud of you, Peter. Let's take a quick break."

While he wasn't tired, Spidey nodded at the idea and walked towards the table where their water bottles were waiting. After they ate breakfast, Natasha and Maria told him and Wanda they would be training more for the next few days in preparation for the upcoming mission. Maria was working with the Scarlet Witch while Black Widow focused on training her little Spider.

"So are you nervous about your first mission with the team?"

Peter took a quick drink of water before he replied. "A little. Mostly anxious though...I just don't want to screw things up during the mission."

"You'll do fine. Just remember to follow Steve's orders and keep yourself protected." Natasha reassured, ruffling Peter's hair. "As old fashioned as Cap is, he's actually good at giving the right orders."

"I know. I'll give it my best effort."

"That's the spirit. C'mon, break's over. Let's get back to work."

Spider-Man saluted before he made his way back to the training floor. Black Widow took a moment to grab a pair of firearms.

"Oh no..." Peter groaned when he spotted the guns in her hands. "We're doing live fire exercises now, aren't we?"

Natasha smirked. "Yep. Don't worry, these are loaded with blanks but they'll still sting if you get hit. We're going to work on your disarming skills for a bit."

"So no webs for now, right?"

"That's right. Now get ready. Remember...stay calm as you think carefully on how best to approach an enemy who's opened fire on you."

Spider-Man nodded as he stood ready to move. A split second later, Black Widow opened fire. He instinctively flipped to the right and avoided the sudden burst of rounds. Natasha fired again in careful bursts, narrowly missing Peter as he managed to move out of the way by a hair's breadth.

Spidey knew he needed to get in close and neutralize the firearms. Without his webshooters, there wasn't much he could do from a distance but he had a chance if he could get in closer.

Peter kept leaping out of the way of the incoming rounds while making sure each jump he made took him closer to Natasha. Black Widow figured out what he was planning and retreated back to put some distance between them. Spider-Man took this chance to rush forward, surprising her a little as she took aim and fired at him.

Peter leapt just before the blank rounds could hit him, launching himself forward over the crossfire as he knocked the guns out of Natasha's hands and pinned her to the ground with his bodyweight.

"Man, that was tough." The young Spider said, slightly out of breath as he got up and offered his hand.

Natasha took Peter's hand and pulled herself back onto her feet. "When have I ever made things easy for you? That was smart thinking though, using the opportunity to close the distance when I retreated. Nice work."

"Good morning, Peter. Natasha."

Steve walked into the room with his shield in hand, dressed in workout clothes. He was sweating a bit too...he must've just come back from his daily jog.

Peter waved in greeting "Uh, hi."

"Steve." Black Widow said with a polite nod.

"That was a nice takedown you did there." Captain America said. "...How about going a round against me?"

Spidey rapidly blinked twice, not sure that he heard right. "What? You mean spar with you?"

"Yeah...I've realized you're the only one I haven't trained with and I want to gauge your skills for myself."

Peter was a little uncertain until Natasha gently gripped his shoulder. "Go ahead, _Маленький паук_. Show him what you got."

"...Okay." He nodded and made his way back to the training mat.

Steve removed his shoes before he joined Peter on the mat...and he carried his shield with him too.

"Are you going to be using the shield?"

"Yeah, unless you don't want me to."

"No, no. It's fine. Let me just..." Peter dug into his pockets for something but they were empty.

"Here, Peter." Natasha grabbed his webshooters from the table and threw them to him. "Go kick Steve's ass."

Peter caught them and promptly slapped the webshooters onto his wrists. "I'll do my best. No promises though."

Steve looked at Natasha with a raised eyebrow. She only shrugged in response.

"If you're using your shield, he gets to use his webs."

He couldn't argue with that logic as he stood ready. Peter got into a battle stance and as soon as Natasha signaled for them to start, both Avengers charged at each other. Cap quickly threw his shield and Peter instinctively backflipped out of it's trajectory as he expected. Having thrown the shield as a diversion, Steve drove his left fist forward.

Spider-Man grabbed the handles before he landed and raised the shield just in time to block Captain America's punch. A loud metal clang echoed from the impact.

Natasha nodded in approval...Peter had already realized the shield was merely a distraction for Steve's secondary attack and he used Cap's own shield to defend himself.

"I'm going to need this back, son." Steve said before he threw a punch at his head with his right.

It forced Spider-Man to release his grip as he ducked out of the way, enabling the Captain to take his shield back. Peter moved his head just in time to avoid Steve's incoming fist and he was quickly forced on the defensive. He did his best to block and redirect the endless kicks and punches Cap was throwing.

Spidey managed to block most of them but every time Cap tried to strike him with his shield, he was forced to dodge out of the way. Steve suddenly pulled him in by the arm and drove a hard knee into his gut. Peter doubled over in pain but gritted his teeth as he clasped his hands together and swung them up into the Captain's jaw in retaliation. A bit of saliva launched out of Steve's mouth when his head nearly snapped back from the powerful blow.

Before Captain Rogers had a chance to recover, Peter flipped forward to build some momentum and delivered a powerful kick deep into his sternum. Steve felt the wind get knocked out of him as he fell to the ground hard.

Spider-Man quickly fired his webshooters at the arm that was holding the shield. Captain America tried to get back up, only to find his right arm and shield was stuck to the mat thanks to Peter's webbing.

"And stop!" Black Widow called out before she approached Peter with a proud smile. "Well done, _Маленький паук_. How does it feel to beat Captain America?"

Behind them, Steve was trying to pry his arm and shield loose.

"I don't think it counts as a win if it's training." Spider-Man said, wiping some sweat off his head. "Besides, I know Cap would've beaten me if he really wanted to."

Natasha caressed the side of Peter's face. "You are too modest sometimes, you know that? But that's not a bad thing and the way I see it, you did win."

"Thanks, Tasha."

"You bet. Now maybe you should help Steve remove the webbing. I don't think he wants to be stuck to the mat for an hour."

"Oh right." Peter moved to see if Captain Rogers needed help. It seemed as though he almost managed to get his shield loose.

"You want some help, Captain?"

"I think I almost got it. I-"

Steve pulled once more with all his strength and his right arm finally launched itself forward from the webbing...along with his shield which ended up hitting Spidey square in the face. There was a loud sickening crunch as Peter fell backwards, carefully holding his nose that was now bleeding.

"Peter!" Natasha yelled, racing to her _Маленький паук's_ side. "What the hell are you doing, Steve?!"

The murderous glare Black Widow was giving Steve almost made the super-soldier shudder out of fear as he raised his hands in panic. "It was an accident! Son, are you alright? I'm so sorry."

"Ow..." Peter muttered as Natasha helped him sit up. The blood flowing down from his nose began to drip onto the floor. "I-I'm okay. It's alright, Captain."

Black Widow helped the young Spider stand to a vertical base. She made sure to keep his head slightly tilted so the blood loss could be kept to a minimum.

"Let's get you fixed up, Peter." She said, a tone of worry evident in her voice.

He carefully nodded and began to take slow steps to the medical bay with Natasha following closely behind. She gave Steve one last cold glare before they finally left the training room.

Captain America sighed out of shame as he moved to clean up the blood that had been spilt on the floor.

...

"Has the bleeding stopped?"

Peter moved his head carefully to check if any more blood would flow out of his broken nose. He waited for a minute and was relieved when he didn't feel any blood drip out.

"I think so."

Natasha nodded. "Good. Now lie down. I have to reset your nose back into place."

He laid back down onto the medical bed as she formed a triangle with her hands and carefully placed them over his nose.

"This is going to hurt. Let me know when you're ready."

Peter took a deep breath and braced himself as best as he could. "...Okay. Let's do it."

Black Widow brought her palms together and being as gentle as she could, dragged them down towards Peter's jaw. The young Spider almost saw stars as a sharp intense pain assaulted the nerves in his nose and he did his best not to cry out.

"Don't get up yet." Natasha said, putting her hand on his forehead. "Just try to relax and keep breathing."

Peter closed his eyes and took deep steady breaths. The pain slowly faded away as he sat upright. She filled a paper cup with water from the water cooler and handed it to him.

"Thank you." He said before he slowly drank it all. His eyes spared a glance at the pile of bloodied towels near the sink.

When they got to the medical room, the first thing Black Widow did was clean up all the blood that had flowed out of his nose with sterilized white towels. It took a while for his nose to stop bleeding.

She held Peter by the chin, checking to make sure other parts of his face weren't injured as well. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Pain's mostly gone...though my nose still feels a bit sore. Other than that, I'm okay."

"Good. I was afraid he'd broken your nose back there but I'm glad that's not the case."

Peter nodded. "Yeah...you're not going to kill Captain America, are you? It wasn't like he did it on purpose."

"I know and no, I'm not going to kill him." Natasha said before she smirked viciously. "I will beat the hell out of Steve the next time we train though."

The young Spider could only nervously laugh at that. It was a lot better than having the Black Widow kill Cap instead.

Natasha's eyes softened as she studied Peter's face...there was still small traces of baby fat in his cheeks but her _Маленький паук_ has certainly grown into a handsome young man. When she first met him three years ago, Peter looked so young and innocent. Now he was more mature and experienced but he retained his adorable childishness.

What caught her attention the most was his hazel eyes...they were so bright and exuberant but there was also a hint of grief and weariness in them too. As much as she wished it wasn't so, she knew Peter had experienced a lot of traumatic events in his young life.

"Nat? Are you okay?" He asked, a little worried. She'd been staring at him without a word for a while now.

Natasha realized that she's been staring at Peter's face and quickly snapped out of her daze. "Sorry...I'm just admiring how much you've grown since I first met you."

"What do you mean?"

"When we first met, I couldn't believe how young you were." She said. "But I've watched you grow over the past three years both as a person and a superhero. Now you're a well-respected hero who's done so much to help keep the people safe."

He still wasn't used to hearing compliments be given to him and it showed when his face blushed. "Oh. Uh, thank you."

"I meant every word. Wanda's damn lucky to have you for a boyfriend, Peter."

"I think I'm the lucky one, to have such a wonderful woman like her fall in love with me." Peter said, smiling at the thought of his girlfriend. "But I'm lucky to have you as a friend too. Even before Tony recruited me, I always thought you were the most badass of the Avengers."

Natasha smirked in amusement. "Really?"

"Yeah. Only you could kick ass and look beautiful doing it at the same time...well, you and Wanda. Probably Ms. Hill too but I've never seen her work in the field before. I wouldn't doubt it though."

Men like Stark made empty lecherous remarks about her looks all the time and though she hid it well behind a cold face, their words always disgusted her.

But when Peter praised her beauty, Natasha couldn't help but smile a little as she knew he was simply being honest and genuine. It made her heart feel happy to know that her _Маленький паук_ held her in such high regard, despite knowing about her troubling past.

"Thank you." Black Widow said with a small blush forming on her face before she did something neither he or herself expected.

Natasha leaned forward and pecked a kiss on Peter's lips. It was light and fleeting as she swiftly pulled back. She didn't know what prompted her to do that...it just felt right for some reason.

"N-Natasha? why did you?" He tried to ask but his voice trailed off, stunned at what just happened.

"...Because I've grown to care about you a lot more than I realized, Peter." She whispered, placing her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry if I've scared you."

"No, it's okay. You didn't scare me...I just never expected to hear this."

Black Widow nodded in understanding. How could she not? She just dropped a major bombshell on her little Spider.

"W-what do I tell Wanda? I don't think I can keep silent about this. It just wouldn't be fair to her."

"I'll talk to her." Natasha said reassuringly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'll make sure Wanda knows that."

"...Okay." Peter nodded with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Maria and Wanda entered the medical room with worried looks on their faces as they approached Peter.

"FRIDAY told us what happened." The Scarlet Witch said, her hands cupping Peter's face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. Nothing was broken but Tasha had to help reset my nose."

"Here." Hill handed him a bottle of apple juice. "FRIDAY said you lost a lot of blood. Drinking this will help."

Spidey thanked her before he popped the cap and drank about half of it in one gulp. Black Widow moved to throw away the pile of bloodied towels into the garbage. Wanda was relieved to see Peter wasn't badly hurt but she was still a little mad at the Captain.

"What the hell was Steve thinking?" Maria asked, folding her arms with a glare on her face.

"It was an accident." Natasha reminded. "He didn't hit Peter with his shield on purpose."

"Why did he bring his shield to training anyways? He almost never does that."

"I don't know. Steve didn't say anything about it before he asked Peter to spar with him."

The young Sokovian woman took a seat next to her boyfriend and carefully held the side of his face. "Does it still hurt?"

"Not anymore. My nose is a little sore but that's it."

"Good." Wanda said before her lips twitched into a smirk. "...How did it feel to beat Captain America in a fight?"

Peter chuckled. "I don't really think I won. I'm sure if it had been a real fight, Cap would've handed my ass to me."

"You should be proud though. Not many of us on the team can say they beat Steve. I think only Natasha and Thor have ever won against him...and now you too."

He thought about it and slowly nodded in agreement. He never even believed he could land a single blow on Captain America but thanks to Natasha's and Maria's training along with a bit of luck, he was able to hold his own against the super soldier. Just being able to accomplish that gave him a small sense of pride.

He knew better than to get cocky about it though...he still had a long way to go before he could beat Cap in a real fight.

"I guess you're right." Spidey finally said with a small grin. "Just being able to land a punch on Cap did feel kind of good."

The Scarlet Witch giggled at the goofy grin on his face as she stood up from the medical bed and held out her hand. "Let's get some lunch."

Peter smiled and took Wanda's hand before they left the med-bay with Natasha and Hill quickly following behind them.

...

"Ready to go, Peter?" Maria asked, holding a set of car keys.

Spider-Man nodded as he picked up his backpack. Hill was giving him a ride back to his apartment. After spending a relaxing afternoon watching the rest of Jurassic World with her, Natasha, and his girlfriend, it was time to go home before dinner just like he promised May.

Wanda held Peter close for a loving kiss. "Call me when you get home, okay?"

"I will." Peter whispered against her lips.

The Scarlet Witch smiled as she reluctantly pulled away. Natasha stepped forward and gave the young Spider a firm hug.

"Remember to come back for training tomorrow, Peter." She whispered. "And don't worry...I'll talk to Wanda tonight."

"Okay. No matter what happens though, you'll always be my friend."

Black Widow smiled warmly. "I know and thank you. Say hi to May for me, okay?"

"Will do." Peter nodded before he got into the car with Maria.

Hill started up the car and revved the engine twice before she drove out of the garage. Wanda and Natasha stood where they were, waving at the vehicle until it eventually drove out of sight.

"Brrr...it's kind of cold." The young Sokovian woman shivered as she rubbed her arms. "Let's go back inside."

Black Widow smiled in agreement and followed her back into the compound. After she closed the door behind her, Natasha gently reached for the Scarlet Witch's arm.

Wanda looked at her with curious eyes. "Natasha? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just need to talk to you...can we go to your room?"

...

\- **I've thought about it for a long time and I decided to give the idea of Peter being in a open relationship a try for this story. It won't be like the other harem stories I've read and heard about though. It'll be done in a more subtle and realistic setting. At the most, it may only be Natasha and Wanda who end up with Peter.**

 **\- I'm sorry if this turns some of you away from the story. Hopefully, you'll continue to read but if not...I understand.**


	12. Chapter 12

\- **So this would be the first time I've written a story like this. Still a bit unsure of how well I can pull this off but I'll give it my best effort.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter woke up early the next day, eating a quick breakfast before he left to patrol the streets. He normally would've done it after dinner but Maria had texted him the night before that their training sessions would be held in both the morning and evening.

Surprisingly, there was no criminal activities that he needed to stop. Maybe it was because even the small time bad guys didn't want to break the law this early in the morning or they were taking a day off...though that seemed very unlikely to last. Either way, Spidey wasn't going to complain. There was another reason he left at an early hour though and that was to seek someone out who operated in a shadier part of New York.

Which was why he was sitting on the roof of the building they usually met up on, waiting for his fellow street vigilante to appear.

"Hello, Spider-Man."

The webslinger stood up from the ledge and turned around. "Hi, Matt. How's it going?"

"Things have been quiet on the streets lately. Don't know why but I'm savouring the peace for as long as it lasts. So what brings you here to Hell's Kitchen?"

"I wanted to ask you for a favour."

"What is it?" Daredevil asked.

"Well, I've been asked to take part in this mission with the Avengers in a few days and I don't know how long I'll be gone. I was wondering if you and the others could patrol Queens for me until I get back."

"Of course. I'd be happy to help." Matt said. "I'll talk to Luke and the others. I'm sure they'll lend a hand too."

Spider-Man smiled behind the mask. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime. So your first official mission with the Avengers, huh? ...Are you nervous?"

"You have no idea. I just can't help but keep worrying about the potential mistakes I might make, you know?"

"I'm sure you'll do fine." Daredevil reassured. "You've been at this for three years now. Just remember to stay calm and be careful."

"I will." Peter nodded before Karen notified him of the time on his HUD. "I gotta go. I have another training session at the compound and I don't want to be late."

Matt gave a small grin as he offered his hand. Spidey took Daredevil's hand and shook it firmly. "You should stop by and visit us more often...especially Jessica. She misses you and your jokes."

The mechanical lenses on his mask widened a little. "Really? I thought she didn't like anyone."

"It may seem that way given how surly she is but Jessica is fond of you. She told us once that unlike most people your age, you're not an arrogant idiot and having you with us always helps to liven things up."

Beneath the mask, Peter looked thoughtful. He had always assumed the private investigator didn't really pay attention when he was around but it was nice to know that Jessica did care about him.

"Tell her and the others I'll pay them a visit when I get back. I'll even bring over some of those chocolate chip pancakes Jessica likes to eat after her usual hangovers."

Daredevil smirked. "Will do. Good luck out there."

Spider-Man nodded in thanks before he leapt off the roof and swung away into the distance. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen turned around to tend to the rest of his day.

...

Peter's heart almost felt like it was going to pound out of his chest as he entered the compound. He had no clue how his girlfriend reacted when Natasha told her about their little kiss yesterday but he really hoped she wasn't angry.

 _"Good morning, Peter."_ FRIDAY greeted jovially.

"Hi, FRIDAY. Do you know where Wanda and the others are?"

" _Miss Maximoff and the others are just finishing breakfast. Would you like me to notify them of your arrival?"_

"Sure." Spidey nodded. "Thanks, FRIDAY."

" _You're very welcome."_

Peter stopped at his room first so he could change out of his costume. Quickly putting on a set of workout clothes, he made his way to the dining area. Maria was washing her cup in the sink when he walked into the room and she gave him a friendly grin in greeting.

"I didn't think you'd be able to get up this early." She said jokingly, ruffling Peter's hair. "Want breakfast? There's some ham and eggs left over."

"No, thank you. I already ate before I headed out. I'll eat the rest later though...I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be starving by the time the morning training session is over."

Hill's lips smirked deviously. "You won't just be starving...if Nat and I do our jobs right, you'll be sore and exhausted by the time we're done running drills."

Spider-Man groaned. "Great. I can't wait to get started."

"You and Wanda can handle it. We wouldn't be working you both so hard if you couldn't."

The Scarlet Witch stood up from her seat and smiled as she kissed Peter. Peter happily kissed her back...even though he was confused as to why she wasn't mad. Did Natasha not talk to her yesterday?

When Wanda finally pulled away, she turned to Maria. "I'd like to talk to Peter and Natasha in private if that's alright?"

Hill was curious as to why she asked but she knew better than to pry right now. Black Widow would probably tell her about it later anyways.

"Sure. I'll get things set up in the workout room. Meet me there when you're done."

She nodded and Maria left, leaving Peter alone with his girlfriend and the Black Widow in the dining area. Natasha didn't seem to be uncomfortable or nervous like he expected though...instead there was a small smile adorning her face when she looked at him.

"Hello, _Маленький паук._ "

"Hi, Nat." Peter greeted before he looked at his girlfriend. "So I take it she's told you what happened?"

Wanda nodded. "She did and don't worry, I'm not mad at you, Peter. Natasha showed me what happened in her mind. I know you didn't do anything wrong."

His heart felt a small sense of relief to hear that but he needed to know if Wanda's friendship with the Black Widow was still intact.

"I wasn't too happy about what she did at first." The Scarlet Witch continued as she held Peter's hands. "But we talked for a long time and as we did...I realized Natasha's feelings for you are the same as my own."

Peter looked at the Black Widow in awe, who blushed a little when their eyes met. He never once even imagined such a cool and aloof woman like Natasha would fall in love with a boring science geek like himself.

"She loves you just as much as I do but neither of us desire to fight each other...so we finally thought of a better solution that I hope will make you happy as well."

He was about to ask what their solution was when Wanda suddenly stepped aside as Natasha walked up. Wrapping her arms around Peter's neck, the Black Widow gave a warm smile.

"...There's no reason why the two of us can't love you together." She said softly. "I admit it is a little unusual but if it means I get to be with you, I'm happy with it."

Spidey wasn't sure he heard right. "Wait...you mean I'll be in a relationship with the two of you at the same time? Are you and Wanda okay with this?"

"We are, _Маленький паук._ " Natasha whispered before her lips gently touched Peter's.

She felt a tingle travel down her spine as she leaned into the kiss a bit more. Wanda wasn't kidding when she bragged about Peter being an amazing kisser. Her eyes closed, savouring the electrifying sensation her body was feeling from their kiss.

When she finally pulled away, Peter looked both a little confused and nervous as his face blushed a twinge of red.

"...Are you alright with this?" the young Sokovian woman asked, gripping Peter's arm gently.

Spider-Man didn't know how to respond to that. Never in his wildest dreams did he believe he'd end up in such an extraordinary situation like this.

"G-give me some time...I need to think about this." Peter said, looking into both their eyes. "It's not that I don't want to. I just never expected the two of you to have fallen in love with a guy like me."

Natasha and Wanda frowned...did Peter think himself to be undeserving of their affections? They'd have to fix that later but for now they nodded to what he asked of them. It was understandable that he would need some time to adjust to the idea.

"Of course." The Scarlet Witch said. "Take all the time all you need."

Spider-Man gave them both a grateful smile before he left for the workout room. Needless to say, it was going to be difficult for him to focus during his training sessions.

...

He was right. Even as he barely dodged Maria's fist, his mind was still thinking about what Wanda and Natasha said earlier this morning. Peter blocked Hill's kick with his left forearm and retaliated by throwing a right punch into a opening near her ribs.

Hill managed to avoid it in time and rolled backwards before she opened fire with a pair of pistols. They were loaded with blanks but getting hit by just one of them would sting like hell. Spidey flipped to the side to avoid the first volley of rounds, only to have Hill fire another burst at where he landed. There was no time to jump again even with his enhanced reflexes...and so Peter simply dropped to the floor on his stomach before he pushed himself back up with his hands.

Peter's mind once again thought about Wanda and Natasha as Hill holstered her firearms and charged towards him. It wasn't like he was against the idea. He cared for them both with all his heart but what scared him the most was the small possibility of their unique relationship falling apart. Their strong bond with each other wouldn't quite be the same again if that ever happened.

"Peter!" Maria called out. The young Spider snapped out of his thoughts just in time to duck underneath her incoming punch...only to be nailed in the chin by a hard and swift driven kick.

Spider-Man fell to the ground, rubbing his now sore jaw. "Ow..."

Hill unclenched her fists and knelt beside the webslinger with a look of concern. "Are you okay, Peter?"

"Uh, yep. I'm alright. Nice kick by the way."

"Is something on your mind?" She asked, helping him up to his feet. "You seemed a little distracted back there."

Peter nodded. "Yeah...I've just been thinking about something. Don't worry, I'm not in danger or anything like that."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"...You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He muttered. He himself could scarcely believe it. "Besides, I don't think I'm the best at explaining it. You should ask Natasha later. She can tell you about it better than I can."

Hill looked a little uncertain but she reluctantly decided to leave the matter. "Okay. You know you can always come talk to me though, right?"

"I know. Thank you."

"Good. Let's get back to training before we break for lunch."

Peter cracked his knuckles with a grn. "Ready when you are."

For the next half hour, Spidey trained with Hill in a variety of difficult drills. Her method of training was a little different than the Black Widow's. Whereas Natasha taught him one thing at a time, Maria liked to combine different aspects of real time combat into one lesson. Both of their training methods was extremely challenging but also fun and Peter enjoyed every minute of it.

By the end of their training session, Spidey found himself lying on the mat as he tried to catch his breath. His entire body felt sore from having worked so hard. Maria sat next to him with a proud smile...Peter's skills have definitely improved a lot. It wouldn't be long before there was nothing left for her and Natasha to teach.

"How are you holding up?" She asked, offering her hand.

Peter took Hill's hand and helped himself up to his feet. "Tired and sore...otherwise, I'm okay."

Maria smirked. "Didn't I say earlier you'd be exhausted by the end of this? Nice work today though...you've improved a lot more than I thought."

"You did tell me to practice whenever I could. FRIDAY's kept count of how many punching bags I destroyed while I practiced the moves you and Natasha taught me."

" _Your current record is at twenty eight, Peter."_ FRIDAY said from above.

Hill looked a little surprised. "You've been practicing that much? That's impressive. Did Tony say anything about it?"

"He made me promise to take things a little easier since he's the one paying for it all...I haven't destroyed another punching bag since."

Maria laughed as she patted a friendly hand on his back. "Something tells me that won't last long. Let's join the others. They're probably already done and waiting for us."

"Okay." Peter nodded before his stomach growled loudly. "I hope lunch is plentiful. I'm hungry."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

...

Wanda and Natasha were sitting on the couch, watching Peter gaze out the window as he hanged upside down from the ceiling. They wondered how it was he never got a headache from doing that...he always seemed so comfortable in that unique pose. Maria had left once she finished eating to help Captain Rogers verify some information after he called in during one of his missions.

Peter didn't talk much when he ate lunch with them. He seemed to be deep in thought the entire time. Whenever Wanda or Natasha asked if he was okay, Peter would simply smile and say he was fine. They knew he was alright physically but it was obvious their conversation this morning was what occupied his mind right now.

"I wish Peter would say something." Black Widow said quietly. "Him being so silent just doesn't seem right."

The Scarlet Witch looked at Peter with concern. "He's been thinking about what we spoke of this morning for a long time now."

Spider-Man let go of the webbing in his hands and landed on his feet. Having thought long and hard about the risks as well as the potential happiness they'd feel if they were together, Peter finally came to a decision.

"Natasha? Wanda?"

They both got up from their seats and made their way towards Spidey. Peter turned to look at them with warmth in his hazel eyes.

The young Sokovian woman hugged her boyfriend. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay." Peter said, holding Wanda close. "...When you and Nat suggested the idea of me dating you both at the same time, it really threw me for a loop. I never thought I'd hear such a thing in my life."

"Peter...it's alright if you wish to remain with Wanda only." The Black Widow said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "You two make each other happy and that's good enough for me."

"But being with you makes me happy too." Spidey reached for both their hands and held on gently. "And if you two believe this can work...then so do I."

Wanda and Natasha smiled out of joy as they gave Peter a firm embrace. It was a relief, especially for the Black Widow, to hear her little Spider say yes. He was one of the few people in her life who could make her feel happy and she promised herself to stay by his side for as long as possible.

Natasha pressed her lips against Peter's for an affectionate kiss. "...I love you."

"She's not the only one." Wanda whispered, waiting for the Black Widow to pull back before she passionately kissed Peter herself.

The young Spider hugged them both a little more firmly. Even though all this still seemed a little unreal, he couldn't help but smile at the warm sense of joy his heart was feeling right now.

"Just because I'm your girlfriend now doesn't mean I'll take it easy on you during our training session later though." The Black Widow joked.

Peter just smirked. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

...

\- **I don't know a lot about the Defenders beyond who consists of the team. Which was why I didn't go into much detail with Daredevil's appearance. I'm watching the show whenever I have time but it's going to take a while to get caught up.**


	13. Chapter 13

\- **Some people have asked if Jessica would be paired with Peter too and the answer is no. They're simply close friends but she is protective of him and vice versa.**

 **I hope you enjoy. Take your time reading.**

 **...**

"Keep your arms up!" Black Widow instructed before she tried to stab Spider-Man with the practice knife in her hand.

The blade and edges of the knives were dull so they wouldn't cause a serious injury by accident but getting hit by them still hurted a lot. Peter pushed Natasha's right wrist away just before she could make contact, redirecting the knife thrust into the air harmlessly. Natasha swung the other blade in her left hand at his head. Ducking out of the way, he drove a hard right into her gut.

She felt the wind get knocked out of her as the practice knives fell from her hands. With a tight grip on the collar of her shirt, Spider-Man flipped the Black Widow over his shoulders and slammed her down to the mat.

"Ugh!"

Peter knelt on one knee with a small look of worry. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm alright. That was a good move back there."

The young Spider took a seat next to her before he laid down to catch his breath. Black Widow wasn't kidding when she said she wouldn't go easy on him just because she was his girlfriend now...if anything, she worked him even harder than before. But Spidey proved more than capable of keeping up with her more aggressive training and in the end, he was able to beat her in their last spar of the night.

Natasha couldn't help but smile proudly at Peter as she sat upright.

"...Is something wrong?" She asked. He was staring at the ceiling with a faraway look in his hazel eyes.

Spider-Man blinked out of his thoughts and shook his head. "No, everything's fine. I was just thinking about how fortunate I am...to have you and Wanda in my life. There's a part of me that keeps thinking this is all some sort of a dream."

A smirk graced her face before Natasha suddenly straddled Peter's hips.

"It's not a dream, _Маленький паук_." She whispered. Her face was just inches away from his. "Wanda and I are here to stay with you for as long as possible."

"...Would it be too soon to say I want us to stay together forever?"

Natasha leaned in and captured Peter's lips for a kiss. "Of course not. It's what we want too."

Peter smiled as he caressed her beautiful face. He was a lucky man indeed to have such an amazing woman like her love him for who he was despite his many flaws.

"...You know if Wanda find us like this, she may get mad that we didn't ask her to join us."

Spidey chuckled. "You're right. Should we go find her and Ms. Hill?"

"In a few minutes. Let's just stay like this a little longer." She said softly, laying her head on Peter's chest.

Peter wrapped his arms around Natasha and held her firmly. The two Spiders closed their eyes and enjoyed the comfort of each other's presence in silence.

...

The warm water cascading down all over his body felt refreshing as Peter scrubbed away the sweat his body built up from the intense training session. Natasha had gone to her own room to shower and they were going to join the others in the living area as soon as they were done. Rinsing off the last of the soap, Peter shut off the water and headed towards his closet. He quickly got dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans before leaving his room.

Captain America approached him from down the hall just as he was closing the door.

"Hi, Captain."

"Peter." Steve nodded in greeting. "I'm sorry about what happened the other day...are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Natasha had to reset my nose but that was it." Spidey said. "It's okay, Cap. I know you didn't do it on purpose."

"Thank you and again, I apologize. I just wanted to let you know there will be a briefing tomorrow morning about the mission coming up the following day."

"What time?" He asked.

"Seven in the morning."

"Okay. I promise I won't be late."

"I guess we'll see." Captain Rogers said before he turned to leave. "Have a good night, son."

Spider-Man walked the opposite way, thinking about what Steve just said. Why these mission briefings always took place at such odd hours was beyond him but he would do his best to wake up in time.

The Scarlet Witch was reading a book on the couch in the living area. Black Widow sat beside her, watching the news being played on tv with little interest.

Natasha looked away from the screen and smiled at Peter when he walked in. "Glad you're finally here, _Маленький паук._ What took you so long?"

"Cap came to talk to me for a bit." Peter replied, sitting in between Wanda and the Black Widow. "He just wanted to make sure that I was alright...where's Ms. Hill?"

"In her office, reading over some of the latest reports we got on Rumlow and his men. She'll be here shortly."

Wanda closed her book and set it down on the table before she rested her head on Peter's shoulder. Peter wrapped his arm around the Scarlet Witch, making her smile as she closed her eyes.

"You okay?"

"Yeah...just exhausted from training with Maria." The young Sokovian woman said quietly. "She and Natasha have been working us really hard for the past two days."

Because of his superhuman durability and stamina, Peter was less tired than his girlfriend was. That being said, his body still felt sore from all the sparring they've done in the last couple days. Natasha's and Maria's attacks didn't hurt him as much as they would on a regular human and he had to roll with their punches and kicks so they wouldn't injure themselves hitting him.

...But they still packed quite a painful punch.

"We're just sharpening your skills for the mission coming up. If it makes you better though, we won't be training tomorrow."

Peter and Wanda looked at the Black Widow curiously. "We won't?"

Natasha shook her head. "No. There's a difference between training hard and stressing your body needlessly. It's best for you two to rest up for at least a day before we head to Lagos."

The two youngest Avengers nodded, knowing it was best to trust her judgement. They would never say no to having a day off anyways...it meant they could spend more time together.

The cellphone in Peter's pocket suddenly buzzed. "Hello?"

" _Hey, Spider-Man."_ Hearing the slurring but familiar feminine voice nearly made him freeze. " _I heard you paid Daredevil a visit today."_

"J-Jessica? Hey, how are you?" Peter said, making Wanda and Natasha look at him curiously.

The fact that she called him was a little unusual...Jessica hated making phone calls or recieving them for that matter. The private detective said having to listen to the annoying ringtones hurts her head whenever she's still a little drunk. She only tolerated recieving calls from her clients or close friends.

" _Care to explain why you visited the Devil of Hell's Kitchen but not me? It would've been nice to see you again after the fucking long day I've had. I know Trish would've loved to see you too."_

"Sorry, I was in a hurry. I didn't want to be late for training and I figured since you're usually...hung over in the morning, I thought it'd be best if I didn't bother you while you slept it off."

Jessica chuckled on the other line. " _Glad someone respects my need for sleeping late but seriously, I don't mind if you come by every now and then...especially when you make those chocolate chip pancakes."_

"I'll cook some for you as soon as I get back." Peter offered kindly. "I'll even make that ginger honey tea you like to drink."

" _I'd be stupid to say no to that. You got a deal, Webhead. Don't worry about Queens, me and the others will keep it safe until you return from that big mission with the Avengers."_

"Thanks, Jessica. I owe you guys one."

" _Just come back in one piece."_ She said in a more serious tone. " _If I find out you've returned injured and I will find out...I'm gonna hunt down the son of a bitch responsible and rip his fucking throat out."_

Peter nervously laughed at that last part. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

" _You better. Stay safe, Parker."_ Jessica instructed before she hung up.

...

Natasha and Wanda had been listening to the conversation and while they didn't hear all of what was said, they heard enough to deduce the woman on the other line was either a acquaintance or close friend of their boyfriend's.

"Who was that, _Маленький паук_?"

"Hm? Oh, that was Jessica Jones." Peter explained, putting his phone away. "She's a private investigator."

Wanda tilted her head curiously. "How do you know her?"

"I met Jessica two years ago while I was out on patrol once. She and the Defenders were being attacked by some criminal group called the Hand and I helped their team fight them off."

Natasha recognized the name...she read a little about the Defenders from the observational reports SHIELD had on them. They were a four person team of street vigilantes who operated on the more darker and shadier streets of New York.

"You've worked with the Defenders?"

"I team up with them every now and then." Spider-Man said. "Jessica might seem grouchy at first but she's actually kind of nice once you get to know her."

Maria entered the room with a weary look on her face and sat down beside Wanda. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"I hate reading all these intel reports sometimes. It took me two hours to call all of our agents and make sure the information they secured was solid, not just second hand rumours."

The Black Widow chuckled. "Makes you miss being in the field, huh?"

"You have no idea." Hill muttered, moving her shoulders around. "Ugh, my neck and shoulders feel as stiff as a rock."

"I can help with that if you'd like."

Maria looked at Spidey curiously before she nodded with a grin. "I'd appreciate it, Peter. What will you do?"

"Something I do for Aunt May whenever she has a really stressful day at work." He went to the sink and rinsed his hands in warm water. "I give her a little massage to help her relax."

The young Spider stood behind Hill and placed his hands on the back of her neck first. Being careful to avoid pressing on the bones, his fingers gently began to knead into the muscles of Maria's neck. Her muscles felt very stiff to the touch and he applied a bit more strength to loosen some of the more tense knots in her neck. Hill closed her eyes and grunted in relief as Peter massaged away the stiff feeling on her upper torso. The aches in both her shoulders and neck was probably a result of her spending so much time sitting at her desk with a poor posture.

Natasha and Wanda shared a smirk as they watched the expression on Maria's face. It was rare to see her so relaxed and at ease. Most of the time, she was cold and professional except in the presence of those rare few she could call friends.

"There, that should do it." Spider-Man said as he put his hands down. "How do you feel?"

Hill moved her neck and shoulders around, smiling at how the muscles within no longer felt rigid and tense. She was also more relaxed now and didn't feel as tired as she did hours earlier.

"Much better. Thank you, Peter."

"Anytime, Ms. Hill."

"It's Maria, remember?" She reminded with amused eyes.

Peter sheepishly grinned. "Right. Sorry, I'm just so used to calling you by your last name."

"You've earned the right to call me by my first name a long time ago. Besides, Ms. Hill makes me feel old."

"Sorry...Maria. Man, that's gonna take some getting used to."

Wanda giggled as she held Peter's hand. "I'm sure it won't take you very long. I mean you kept calling me and Natasha Ms. Romanoff and Ms. Maximoff for two weeks straight before you finally felt comfortable enough to use our first names."

"That is true." The Black Widow said, chuckling at the funny memory.

"We've only just met back then. I didn't want to be rude to the people I've always looked up to."

"We know, _Маленький паук._ We're just teasing you. _"_ Natasha pecked a kiss on Peter's face. "...You think you can give my shoulders a little massage too? They feel kind of stiff."

Peter nodded. "You bet."

Hill narrowed her eyes as she watched Peter and Natasha...something about them was different. Maybe she was imagining it but the two Spiders seemed to be a lot more affectionate with each other than before. The Scarlet Witch didn't look to be jealous or anything, which was surprising...and her bewilderment only grew when Wanda kissed Peter too almost immediately afterwards.

"Wait a minute..." Maria said under her breath once it finally dawned on her. "Are you and Wanda both dating Peter?"

The Black Widow mentally slapped herself as she answered her question with a nod. She had completely forgotten to tell Maria of her newfound relationship with Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch.

And judging from the expectant look on her face, Natasha knew there was a lot of explaining she had to do.

...

\- **Still trying to catch up on the Defenders but there's a lot to get through. The show does seem pretty good so far. Till next time, everyone.**


	14. Chapter 14

\- **I'm just letting you all know it might be a while before there will be another update** **. Writing the next chapter is going to take a lot of time and my best efforts. Thank you all for your patience.**

 **\- A few of you were wondering what** **_Маленький паук_ means. It's Russian for 'Little Spider.'**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter held back a tired yawn as he listened to Captain America lay out the details of their strategy to take down Rumlow. Having woken up an hour earlier so he wouldn't be late for the mission briefing, there was a part of him that still felt sleepy. Everyone else seemed to be more awake than he was...well, everyone except Wanda. His girlfriend looked like she was about to drop to sleep any second now. The way Cap was droning on like a stereo stuck in monotone wasn't exactly doing much to help her stay awake either or himself for that matter.

Nevertheless, he paid close attention to everything that was said during the briefing. His part of the plan was fairly simple...he was to keep an eye out from above alongside Sam for Rumlow and his men when they make their approach to steal the biological weapon in Lagos. Natasha and Wanda were to disguise themselves as tourists and watch the situation from the ground. Captain Rogers would be coordinating everything from an apartment located near the target building.

Tony wasn't taking part because he would be a guest speaker at his alma mater, MIT, that day...plus his suits of armour weren't exactly low profile. The trademark colours of hot rod red and gold could be seen a mile away.

"Spider-Man." Steve called out. "Are you going to be able to change into your suit in time when the fighting starts?"

Peter nodded. "Yep. With my new suit, it won't be a problem."

"Alright then. I want everyone to memorize their parts of the strategy. Odds are Rumlow will probably resist...so be prepared to defend yourselves. Dismissed."

Peter got up to leave with Wanda and Natasha following right behind him. Captain America stayed in the room with the Falcon to discuss another matter. Spidey didn't know what for but his enhanced sense of hearing caught wind of Sam mentioning something about Rumlow being a possible source of intel for finding their missing person.

"Glad that's finally over with." The young Sokovian woman grumbled before she yawned. "Why did Cap want to have this meeting so early in the morning?"

Black Widow shrugged. "Steve used to be part of the military. Waking up at odd hours is something he does often. Besides...we'll have to get up early again when we leave for Lagos."

Wanda groaned out of annoyance, making Peter and Natasha chuckle as they walked down the hall. Maria exited her office from the other end and greeted the two youngest Avengers with a friendly wave before she stopped in front of the Black Widow.

"Natasha, you got a minute? I need to talk to you about something."

Black Widow turned to the Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man for a moment. "You two go on ahead. I'll be with you shortly."

Peter knew why Hill wanted to speak with her...she wished for Natasha to explain her special relationship wth him and Wanda.

"Don't worry, I'm not mad or anything." Maria reassured with a gentle smile. "I just need her to clarify a few things for me."

Wanda and Peter were still a bit hesitant to go but they acquiesced with a nod before leaving together for the living area, leaving Hill and the Black Widow alone in the hallway.

"Should we talk in my room?" Natasha suggested.

"Sure."

Maria followed the Black Widow as she led the way to her quarters. Once they got inside, Natasha closed the door behind her and instructed FRIDAY to notify them if anyone was listening in.

...

Hill quietly gazed into Natasha's green eyes for a long time before she finally asked the first of the many questions on her mind.

"So...how long?"

"For almost two years." She admitted with a smile. "When we first met, I was intrigued and moved by how much he considered me to be a heroine despite all the wrong I've done in the past. As we spent more time together, my feelings for Peter grew deeper and deeper."

"...I see. How did Wanda feel about it when you told her?"

"She wasn't happy at first but we talked about it for a long time the other day. She and I eventually realized there was no reason why we couldn't love Peter together."

Maria looked curious. "What did he think?"

"Peter was surprised but he accepted the idea after he thought it over for a long time." Natasha said. "He's still getting used to our unique relationship but for now, we're happy to be together."

Hill nodded at this. It was strange to hear her friend confirm that she and Wanda were dating Peter at the same time but if they were happy, she didn't have any problems with it. Whether the other members of the team would have issues with it was uncertain. It brought a small twinge of pain to her heart though, knowing that the young Spider was now in a relationship...even if it was a little unorthodox.

A knowing smirk graced the Black Widow's face. "...You like Peter too, don't you?"

Hill didn't bother denying it as her lips formed a small grin. "Was I that obvious? Then again, I'm not surprised...you always were the very best at reading people's feelings."

"You're a lot better at hiding your emotions than most people...like Clint. He thinks he's good at putting on a mask but I can read him like an open book most of the time."

She and Maria shared a laugh at that as they stood next to each other. For a moment, the room was amiably quiet.

"...How long have you felt this way?"

"I don't know." Hill said quietly as she shrugged. "But I've always been fond of him. Somewhere along the way, what I felt for Peter slowly turned into something...more."

Natasha looked at her with inquisitive eyes. "Are you going to tell him?"

Maria thought about it before she slowly shook her head. "No, at least not yet. The mission in Lagos starts tomorrow and the last thing Peter needs to deal with now is a big distraction."

The Black Widow couldn't argue with those reasons. While tomorrow's mission was a relatively simple one, it would still be dangerous and they needed Spider-Man to stay focused on the task at hand. They couldn't risk him getting distracted in his thoughts.

"Besides, he's already dating you and Wanda. I'm not sure how'd he feel about being with the three of us at the same time."

"...I don't know either." Natasha said truthfully. "But I have a feeling Peter won't have any problems with it. He cares a lot about you too."

Black Widow wasn't the kind of person who believed in just hunches alone but whenever she did, they always proved to be correct. Maria smiled in gratitude for her reassuring words...maybe Peter would accept her into his heart too.

But her possible confession would have to wait until the team's mission in Lagos was over and the young Spider came back unharmed.

"Shall we rejoin the others?" She asked, gesturing towards the door with her thumb.

Natasha nodded before she and Hill left her room to find the Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man.

...

The two former agents of SHIELD quietly walked into the living area so they wouldn't accidentally disturb anything. The two youngest members of the team were laying on the couch, with Wanda having fallen asleep on top of Peter.

"Welcome back." The young Spider whispered, opening his eyes.

Black Widow went over and leaned her head down to kiss Peter. "What have you two been up to?"

"Wanda and I were still feeling a little tired so we took a nap after breakfast. If you're hungry, there's some egg sandwiches left over."

Maria smiled in thanks. She had almost forgotten neither herself or Natasha had eaten breakfast yet. Fortunately, Peter was thoughtful enough to have made some extra food for them. The egg sandwiches he mentioned were on the table in front of the couch and they looked very delectable.

The slumbering Scarlet Witch mumbled something in Sokovian in her sleep as she snuggled a bit more into Peter's chest. Natasha and Hill made sure to eat quietly so as to not wake Wanda by accident.

"...So what are your plans for today, _Маленький паук_?"

"Probably just going to take it easy and relax for the day." He said. "I already told Aunt May I'd be staying here for tonight."

"So you won't have to swing all the way here from Queens, right?" Maria correctly guessed.

"Right. I don't exactly want to be late for my first mission...plus it saves up on the webbing I'm probably going to need."

Natasha gave Peter a curious look. "Don't you carry spare web cartridges?"

Spidey nodded. "Yeah but I do my best to make every shot count. Just because I have webbing to spare doesn't mean I'm gonna waste what I already have."

"Smart thinking." Hill said with a grin of approval. One of the many things they taught him was to consider things tactically in the field and be mindful of his available resources to fight with.

Thor soon walked into the room, looking as happy as ever. In his left hand was a plate filled with chocolate and strawberry flavoured pop-tarts. "Good morning, my friends!"

Peter placed a finger in front of his nose. "Shhh. You have to speak a little quieter...Wanda's asleep."

"I apologize, Man of Spiders. I shall lower my voice."

The God of thunder bowed his head in apology before he sat down on the other side of the table.

"I hear you have finally been asked to take part in a mission with the Avengers tomorrow." He said, nibbling away on one of his pop-tarts. "I wish you the very best of luck, young Parker."

"Thanks, Thor. I'll do my best."

"I have no doubts about that. I've informed Jane and Darcy of your mission. They too bid you good luck and to advise you to be careful...Jane was quite adamant about it."

Peter chuckled. "That's very kind of them. Tell Dr. Foster and Darcy I appreciate their concern."

"I shall." Thor said before he smiled. "When you return, you must tell me your deeds of heroic bravery in the battle."

Spidey didn't really think of himself as much of a storyteller but he nevertheless agreed with a smirk.

Maria looked at Peter with serious eyes. "Dr. Foster and Darcy aren't alone in telling you to be careful. I want you to come back safe and sound...and that goes for everyone else too."

"Don't worry, we'll keep each other safe." Natasha promised. If need be, she would gladly take a bullet for Peter and Wanda.

Because she knew the two would do the same for her or any of the others on the team without any hesitation...but the Black Widow wouldn't let that happen. Not if she could help it.

...

\- **This one's a little short, I know. I've been rewatching Civil War over and over again so I can better describe the opening fighting scenes in writing. As I've mentioned before, this is an AU so the events will turn out a little differently.**

 **\- The next part will be a challenge for sure but I'll give it my best shot. See you all next time, folks.**


	15. Chapter 15

\- **Well, I gave this chapter my best efforts. I took my time and rewrote the parts that didn't work at first. It was kind of odd rewatching the opening act of Captain America: Civil War over and over again but I wanted to be able to describe the first action sequences as accurately as I could.**

 **\- Given that this is an AU, I didn't include all of what happened in the film. The only part of the movie I used was the opening sequence. Most of the events in the first ten minutes are relatively the same but some things occur differently because of Peter's participation in this mission.**

 **I hope you like it. Enjoy.**

 **...**

 _"Anyone ever tell you that you're a little paranoid?"_

Natasha took another sip of her coffee as she kept a careful eye on the police station. _"Not to my face, no. Why?"_

Perched up high on the side of a tall building was Peter, who couldn't help but smirk at her words. It was probably because no one was brave enough to say such a thing to the Black Widow.

The team arrived in Lagos at the crack of dawn and each of them took their respective positions throughout the city. Back at the compound when they were boarding the Quinjet, some members of the team asked Spidey why he didn't have his suit. Peter simply explained he was already wearing it...it was just concealed at the moment. That confused most of the others and they decided to just drop the matter so they could get going. While Natasha and Wanda were curious as well, the two knew what their boyfriend meant by his words would be revealed when the fighting began.

 _"How you holding up, Peter?"_ The Scarlet Witch asked, sparing a glance at the building he was on.

Spider-Man narrowed his eyes a little. The sun was very bright here in Lagos. "So far so good. I haven't spotted anything weird yet."

 _"I got nothing either."_ Sam added.

 _"Keep looking. This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow's activities in six months."_ Cap ordered, looking out from the window of the apartment he was in. _"We don't want to lose him."_

With his superhuman sense of sight, Peter could see everything happening on the ground with great clarity. The only thing he's seen so far though is the people of the city below going about their everyday business.

 _"This is your first time in another country. How are you liking it so far,_ _Маленький паук_?"

Falcon laughed a little. _"You're kidding me, right? Spider-Man's never left the states before?"_

Peter sighed. "Aunt May and I can't really afford to take trips anywhere...so no. The Quinjet is the only plane I've ever taken in my life. Lagos looks very lively though. I'd probably enjoy the sights more if we weren't here to apprehend a wanted Hydra terrorist."

 _"...Maybe you should stop talking while you still can, Sam."_ Natasha coldly advised. However unintentional it was, Sam's words were still disrespectful.

On his part, Falcon felt a bit of guilt run through his heart and he wisely kept quiet. He hadn't meant to insult anyone.

 _"Stay focused."_ Steve said before he spotted something. _"...Sam. See that garbage truck? Tag it."_

A small drone launched from the back of his wing suit into the air. Redwing, as Falcon called it, flew in low through the streets before it hovered beneath the suspicious garbage truck. It took a detailed scan of the vehicle's interior and the cargo it carried.

Sam frowned when he read the data Redwing was sending back. _"That truck's loaded for max weight and the driver's armed."_

 _"...It's a battering ram."_ Natasha correctly guessed.

 _"Go now_." Captain Rogers ordered as he grabbed his shield.

Wanda looked confused. _"What?"_

 _"He's not hitting the police."_

Falcon stepped off the ledge and opened his wings to fly towards the Institute For Infectious diseases. The driver rolled out to the streets just before the truck crashed through the front gate, demolishing the overhang when it flipped from hitting the anti-vehicle defenses set in front of the security gate.

" _Peter, incoming enemy contacts approaching the Institute."_ Karen informed, her motion sensors picking up additional hostiles. " _They're in those two yellow trucks."_

"Uh, Captain? We've got two more truckloads of bad guys approaching the perimeter."

 _"Understood. See if you can take them out. We don't want any more of Rumlow's men swarming in here."_ Steve ordered, bashing a mercenary's head with his shield.

"Copy that." Spider-Man said before he pressed both his webshooters and jumped down from the side of the building.

From his wrists, nanites materialized all over Peter's body in the form of his new suit. His iconic mask covered his whole head just before he could hit the ground and he quickly fired a webline to swing himself back into the air. The mechanical lenses glowed a bright blue as did the Spider symbol in the middle of his chest.

Peter made this suit with cutting edge nanotechnology and it was powered by a series of small arc reactors. The nanites were stored in his new webshooters made with the Uru bracers Thor had given him. Compared to his old costume, this one looked more tactically armoured as it was bulletproof and was just as durable as Ironman's latest suit of armour. ( **It's the Spider-Man costume from the Square Enix figure combined with the glowing features of the Iron-Spider suit.)**

The most convenient thing was that he could change into this costume within seconds and if he didn't need it on, the nanites would dematerialize back into his webshooters. This was the first time Peter wore it in a real combat situation though and he hoped the suit held up well.

"Karen, how we looking?"

" _All systems are running at 100% capacity_." She reported.

His mask's lenses zoomed in on the enemy reinforcements rushing out of the trucks. "Good. Keep me posted if something goes wrong."

" _Understood."_

Near the inner courtyard, Peter could see the Falcon providing cover fire for Wanda while she used her telekinetic powers to remove all of the tear gas from the building and release it harmlessly into the air. Natasha was racing forward on a motorcycle before she jumped off the vehicle with perfect timing. The motorcycle slid and crashed into the legs of the enemy, making them cry out in pain as they were knocked off their feet.

Captain America was probably in the building trying to find Rumlow before he could get the biological weapon. One of the bad guys spotted him coming in and he frantically gestured for two other mercenaries to fire towards the sky.

"Here we go." Spidey muttered as he swung towards the enemy.

...

"Shoot him!"

Spider-Man rolled his eyes beneath the mask. "If only I had a nickel for every dumb bad guy that's ever said that to me..."

Peter dodged the incoming high calibre bullets before he shot a few strands of webbing and pulled, snagging the assault rifles out of their hands. One of them attempted to reach for his sidearm but Spider-Man swiftly leapt forward and planted a hard kick to his nose. The man's face nearly caved in from the impact as he was knocked a few feet away backwards and fell to the ground unconsciously.

The other two pulled out their knives with the intent of stabbing the webslinger. He flipped out of the way of their desperate attack. Spidey fired two more strands of webbing at their kevlar vests and yanked them upwards as he leapt from where he stood. Their heads violently collided against one another, knocking both men out cold.

Peter threw them backwards to where their inert buddy was before he jumped over the wall. There were still four hostiles shooting at the Falcon in the courtyard.

One of his wings acted as a shield for Sam as he returned fire. The Scarlet Witch was standing behind him, still working on getting rid of the tear gas. Spider-Man shot his webs at the closest assault truck where two of the mercenaries were taking cover behind. The two men noticed the strange web substance come from out of nowhere and they looked behind them.

"Hi, guys." Peter waved before he swiftly pulled the strand of webbing.

The vehicle in front hit the back of their bodies, sending the two mercs flying forward before they landed hard on the ground. They were alive albeit in a lot of pain from both the cold steel slamming into their spines and their faces hitting the pavement.

The last two were surprised to see the webslinger and stopped firing momentarily, giving Falcon the chance to shoot them down while their attention was diverted.

"Nice timing, Spider-Man." Sam said as his wing folded back into the flight pack. "Almost had to hit them with a couple of heat seekers. Glad I didn't."

Peter nodded before he took a look around. There were enemy bodies everywhere...some of them dead while most merely had the holy hell beaten out of them.

"Looks like you guys already took out everyone else. Where's Captain America?"

"He's up-"

Numerous loud explosions suddenly hit the building, sending glass and debris flying everywhere. Peter and Sam looked up and saw the middle floor of the institute was completely enveloped in flames.

"Cap! What's going on?"

There was only static for a moment. _"Sam, he's in a AFV headed north."_

"Copy that. Stay here and keep her safe until the gas is gone." Sam instructed before he took off again.

"Right. Karen? Watch for any other possible enemy movements from all directions."

 _"You got it."_

"Natasha? Are you okay?" Peter asked, having not heard from the Black Widow for a while.

It sounded like there was a lot of wind rushing by on her communicator. _"I'm alright. Rumlow tried to kill me with a grenade but I managed to get away. I'm in pursuit of their truck right now."_

He was relieved to know she was okay. "Alright. Wanda and I will join you guys once we're done here."

 _"See you there."_

Spidey turned his attention to the Scarlet Witch. "How are we doing?"

"Almost finished." She said, looking at him with a grin. "I like your new suit. It looks very cool."

"Thanks."

Wanda finally got the last of the gas out of the building and the red glow in her hands and eyes disappeared from view. Peter got down on one knee and gestured to his back.

"Hold on tight. We're gonna have to hurry if we want to catch up to the others."

The young Sokovian woman nodded before she firmly wrapped her arms around Peter, taking care not to choke him by accident. The young Spider stood back up and jumped high into the air as he fired a strand of webbing.

"I'm not too heavy, right?" Wanda playfully asked. A breeze of cool air rushed through her hair as he webswinged them through the city.

Even though she was only joking around, Peter knew better than to say the wrong answer to that question. He had no desire to be the only one to acquire injuries that were unrelated to the mission.

"Not at all. You're perfect the way you are."

...

When they finally arrived at the market place, the two youngest Avengers could see Captain America squaring off against Rumlow not far from where they landed. There were many people wisely running away from the fight. Where the others were at though was a mystery.

"See if you can find Natasha and Sam. I'll lend Cap a hand."

Wanda nodded and ran to find the others while Spidey leapt in to help Captain America. Rumlow managed to land a hard kick into the super soldier's groin, making even him wince in pain as he couldn't move momentarily. The Hydra terrorist took advantage of Cap's temporary lapse and punched him in the face. The force of it was enough to send Captain America crashing through a empty stall. Spider-Man landed in front of the fallen super soldier just in time to prevent Crossbones from striking a killing blow.

"Out of the way, you freak! This is between me and that son of a bitch right there."

Peter snorted out of amusement. "I'm the freak...says the guy whose face looks like it met a meat grinder."

Rumlow growled before a second knife popped up from his modified gauntlet and he charged towards the webslinger. Spidey ducked out of the incoming knife thrust as he jabbed his left fist forward.

Crossbones blocked it before he threw a punch of his own with his left hand. Peter parried his attack harmlessly to the side and began to trade blows with Rumlow, taking care not to use his full strength. He didn't want to cripple or kill the man by accident. Rumlow's frustration began to grow as he narrowly avoided a kick to the gut...Spider-Man was a better fighter than he was led to believe.

Peter was really glad Natasha and Maria had taken the time to teach him how to properly fight for the last couple of years. Otherwise, he wasn't certain he would've lasted this long in close combat against Rumlow.

"So you call yourself Crossbones...sounds like a generic pirate's name to me. Where's your parrot?"

Rumlow growled as he threw a haymaker at his face. "I'm gonna enjoy shutting you up, bug!"

"Actually, it's arachnid." Spider-Man corrected before he caught his fist. Swiftly pulling him in, he drove a powerful kick into the man's chest.

Rumlow felt his sternum break before he crashed into the wall of an empty building. Spidey stood ready to attack again, only to stop when Cap grabbed him by the shoulder from behind.

"Pull back, Spider-Man."Steve ordered. "I got this. Go see if everyone's alright."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. You did good...I'll handle the rest."

"Alright." Peter nodded before he ran off to find the others.

Fortunately, it didn't take him long to find the Scarlet Witch and Black Widow as they were already making their way back to regroup. In Natasha's hand held a yellow vial filled with some sort of red liquid inside.

"Glad to see you're okay." She said, smiling in approval at the new costume her little Spider was wearing. "So this is your new suit...I like it."

"Thank you. Good to see you're alright too. Is that the biological weapon they stole?"

Natasha nodded. "Yeah. They tried to trick us by splitting into two groups but Sam and I managed to find the right ones and take them down before they could drop it."

"They already defeated Rumlow's henchmen when I found them." Wanda said. "Falcon went to check and see if any of the civilians were hurt."

"I was fighting Crossbones until Cap asked me to come find you guys." Peter explained, pointing his thumb backwards to where the super soldier was fighting.

Black Widow looked in the direction that he pointed. "Steve's probably kicked his ass by now. That bastard Rumlow has never been a match for him. I'll sweep the area, make sure none of his men are still around. You two go check on old man Rogers."

Wanda held onto Peter as he webswinged them back near the entrance of the market while Natasha went the other way. They could see a defeated Rumlow kneeling before Captain America, muttering something as the super soldier held him by the vest. The mercenary's helmet had been removed and his horribly mutilated face was now out in the open.

"I think I look pretty good, all things considered."

"Who's your buyer?" Steve demanded.

Rumlow gave a mocking grin. "You know he knew you...your pal, your buddy, Bucky."

"What did you say?!"

"He remembered you. I was there...he got all weepy about it till they put his brain back in the blender."

Captain Rogers was surprised to hear that and it showed on his face a little when Rumlow kept talking. Within Peter's new suit, Karen noticed something odd about the equipment the mercenary had on his person and she did a quick scan.

" _Peter...Crossbone's kevlar vest is rigged with C4 explosives."_

"What?"

Wanda turned to Peter in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"Rumlow's planning to blow himself up. You need to get him away from Cap now."

The Scarlet Witch nodded before she let go of Spider-Man and used her powers to float down to the ground. Crossbones slowly pulled out a small detonator from within his vest, unbeknownst to the super soldier.

"He wanted you to know something. He said to me: please tell Rogers when you got to go, you got to go." The man's face turned vicious. "...And you're coming with me."

Wanda contained the vest bomb within a telekinetic scarlet barrier just as Rumlow pressed the detonator. The flames of the suppressed explosion burned against his body, forcing Crossbones to scream in agony. Gritting her teeth, the young Sokovian woman did her best to telekinetically lift Crossbones into the air. Holding back the powerful blast slowly proved to be too straining for the Scarlet Witch and the barrier she put around the mercenary's vest quickly disappeared.

Peter was still web swinging in the air when he noticed Rumlow was dangerously close to the nearest building. Karen ran some quick calculations and she showed the data on his HUD...the resulting explosion would completely devastate at least three floors of the structure once the Scarlet Witch's barrier gave out. Swinging in closer, Spidey launched himself towards Crossbones and tackled him to the side with as much force as he could generate in the hopes of putting some more distance.

"Peter!" Wanda yelled, her eyes widening in horror.

The young Spider closed his eyes just before the C4 in Rumlow's vest finally detonated completely in the open air...engulfing both himself and the mercenary in a torrent of violent flames and smoke.

...

\- **I'm assuming Peter's level of durability in the MCU is the same as his Marvel comic counterpart...who can survive being punched by the Hulk and even point-blank missle explosions to the face without much trouble.**

 **\- There are a few more upgrades with Peter's new suit that I haven't revealed in this chapter. If you've read the comics, you might be able to guess some of them. I hope this was okay. Till next time, everyone.**


	16. Chapter 16

\- **Like most of you, I was very saddened to hear of Stan Lee's recent passing. The man brought to life so many of the beloved Marvel heroes we know today...including the one that I consider to be the best, Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. His intricate comics about all of them gave us years of irreplaceable entertainment and even taught us some important lessons. My utmost respects and condolences to him and his family.**

 **\- I wrote this to the best of my ability but it wasn't easy getting it done...mostly because of a lack of time. Even now, I'm still not sure it's good but I'll leave it up to the readers.**

 **I hope you enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter could tell he was falling from the sky at a rapid pace. He needed to do something now before he hit the ground but his heavy limbs couldn't move at all. As durable as he was, falling from such a height in his weakened state may prove to be fatal.

The young Spider wasn't certain but all of a sudden it seemed like his descent was beginning to slow down. When he looked and noticed the aura of red energy surrounding his body, his lips managed to quirk into a tired smirk.

Wanda breathed a sigh of relief...somehow she was able to stop Spider-Man's fall just in time. The Scarlet Witch gently lowered Peter to the ground before she held him up in her arms to check the extent of his injuries. Fortunately, Karen had already administered some field meds to both help keep him stabilized and halt the bleeding of some of his external wounds. That didn't mean Peter was out of danger yet though. The blast had inflicted some serious internal damage to his body and if Spidey didn't get to a hospital soon, he could possibly die.

It took a lot of effort on Wanda's part to keep herself from panicking...never before has she seen her boyfriend so badly hurt. The Falcon made sure nobody approached them while Captain America was on his way back with the Quinjet for a quick extraction.

"Peter? Stay with me!" She said, holding the side of his masked face. "Karen, how's he doing?"

" _His condition is stabilized for now. I've already injected some anti-septics to prevent the risk of infection in his wounds. However, if Peter doesn't get medical attention soon...his internal blood loss will become too severe."_ The A.I. informed. As impossible as it seemed, the tone in her smooth voice sounded worried too.

Wanda let out a curse in Sokovian before she turned to the Black Widow, who was instructing Hill back at the compound to have the med-bay prepared upon their arrival. Natasha looked as calm as ever but she was equally concerned if not more for her _Маленький паук's_ well-being.

"Make sure Helen and her team has everything they need." She advised before kneeling down next to the badly injured Spider-Man. "How is he?"

"Peter is stabilized but he's bleeding a lot internally. We need to get him some help."

Natasha activated her communicator again. "Steve, you need to get here now. Spider-Man's losing blood fast."

 _"I'm on my way. ETA, one minute."_

Spidey tried to talk but the only sounds he could make were small groans of pain. Though it was hard to tell at the moment, he was pretty certain some of his ribs were broken too. It would explain why it was kind of difficult to breathe.

"Stay strong, _Маленький паук_. We're going to get you help." Black Widow said soothingly. She placed a gentle hand on top of where his heart was.

The roar of the Quinjet's engines grew louder and louder as it approached their position. Once Cap landed, the Scarlet Witch and Black Widow took great care in moving Spider-Man inside before they placed him down on an emergency stretcher. As soon as the doors closed behind Sam, Steve flew the Quinjet for home at top speeds.

Karen took the liberty of folding back Peter's mask into the suit so it would be a little easier for him to breathe. Blood was flowing down from the middle of his forehead and the right side of his mouth but the young Spider was still awake somehow...he'd been fighting to keep himself conscious all this time but it was a battle he was slowly losing.

"Don't fall asleep." Wanda ordered. She wiped away some of the blood off his head with a clean cloth. "We'll be home soon, just hold on."

He really wanted to stay awake but darkness was already starting to cloud his vision. The last thing Peter heard was the Scarlet Witch's voice calling his name before his eyes closed completely.

...

When Spider-Man woke up again, it was only for a brief moment. His vision was still blurry but he could make out large black shadows hovering over him. Faint flairs of light poked through some of the shadowy figures from above.

"Peter?" An unfamiliar voice said. "I need you to relax and stay still. The anesthetic will take effect shortly."

The young Spider didn't have any problems with that. It wasn't like he could move his tired and numb body much anyways. The medical anesthetic the doctor had injected into his body soon began to take effect and Peter drifted off into a comfy state of sleep once more.

After doing a quick check to make sure Spider-Man was fully unconscious, Dr. Cho gave the go ahead to her team with a nod to begin the operation. Most of his external wounds were already repairing themselves steadily thanks to his enhanced healing factor but the damage his body had suffered on the inside was far more serious...most notably the internal bleeding.

The surgery to stop the bleeding itself would take a lot of time and it wasn't exactly easy but Helen knew failure wasn't an option. She'd do everything in her power to save Peter's life.

"Let's do this." She said, putting on a surgical mask.

The rest of the team were gathered in the room just across from the medical bay. Natasha stood with her arms crossed as she glared at Steve. She could understand his being taken aback by what Rumlow had said about the Winter Soldier but that was no excuse for failing to notice the bomb strapped kevlar vest the mercenary wore early on.

Captain America didn't seem to be aware of the cold glare he was getting...he just kept staring at the ground.

Sitting in the chair next to Natasha was Wanda, who had a look of guilt on her face. The Scarlet Witch couldn't help but blame herself as the reason why Peter was so badly hurt. If only she had moved Crossbones far enough away from both Captain America and the building...the young Spider wouldn't be in such a dire predicament right now.

Thor's eyes were closed as he silently prayed for the All-Fathers to make sure Peter was okay. Seeing him in such an injured state enraged the God of thunder to the point where he almost summoned Mjolnir so he could go hunt down the one responsible. His rage quickly subsided though after the Scarlet Witch explained what happened and his anger was replaced by a sense of humbleness.

The noble sacrifice that young Parker made to save so many lives took a level of courage very few people possessed and he was very proud of his friend.

Rapid footsteps were heard coming from down the hall before someone suddenly rushed into the room, with Hill following right behind her. Wanda and Natasha recognized the woman as Spider-Man's guardian, May Parker...who looked understandably panicked.

"Where's my nephew?! Where's Peter?" She demanded, her eyes looking to all the Avengers present in desperation.

Natasha gently grasped her by the shoulders. "May, May! Peter's alive...he's in surgery right now.

Hearing that her boy was alive brought a small sense of relief to her heart but she still wanted answers. Maria helped her sit down before Black Widow slowly recounted the details of what happened during their mission in Lagos. To her credit, May listened while remaining as calm as she could...though Hill knew it was taking all her efforts to hold back from crying.

With Peter being the only family she had left, it was only natural for her to be worried about the boy she raised. She just wanted him to be safe and sound. Such was the sentiment that they all shared and hoped for.

"I'm sorry...this is all my fault." The Scarlet Witch muttered as she knelt before May.

The kind Aunt shook her head before she pulled Wanda into a gentle hug, surprising the young Sokovian woman. "I don't blame you, sweetheart. You did the best you could."

"But I should've noticed Rumlow was still too close to the building. If I had, Peter wouldn't have needed to intervene."

"He probably would've done it anyways even if you did notice...that's just how selfless my nephew is. Besides, it wasn't you who decided to try and take out Captain America with a bomb."

"It's not your fault and I know Peter doesn't believe so either." May said with a small smile. "...So don't blame yourself, okay?"

The Scarlet Witch slowly nodded in gratitude at her kind words. Spider-Man's guardian pulled Wanda up and gestured for her to sit in the seat next to her.

The room turned quiet again as everyone waited for Spidey's operation to be over. Wanda noticed May's hands were shivering and she moved to place her hand on top of hers. She was grateful for the supporting gesture but it was nearly driving her mad, not knowing whether or not her nephew would be well on the road to recovery.

The thought of losing Peter was something she couldn't bear to live with.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors to the med-bay finally opened and Dr. Cho stepped out from the other side. Her eyes looked tired as she removed the surgical gloves...which were covered in presumably Peter's blood.

May immediately rushed up to her. "Doctor, how's my nephew?"

"It was touch and go for a while. Peter almost went into hypovolemic shock from losing so much blood...but we've managed to stop the internal bleeding. Some of his ribs and bones were broken from the explosion but the material of his suit absorbed most of the kinetic impact. Thanks to his healing factor, they've already begun to mend."

"So will he be alright?" Wanda asked, sounding a little impatient.

She slowly nodded with a small smile. "Peter will make a full recovery."

Tears ran down May's face as she gave Helen a big hug. Thor raised his arms in the air, praising both the doctor and the All-Fathers for saving the young Spider's life. Maria couldn't help but chuckle at the God of thunder's antics. She too was happy to hear that Peter would be alright.

Black Widow wrapped her arm around the Scarlet Witch's shoulders, sharing a smile of relief. Wanda couldn't help but cry a few tears of her own...knowing that Peter would be okay gave her heart an almost overwhelming feeling of joy.

"May we go see him?"

Helen seemed a little hesitant. "...I suppose it's alright. Just don't take too long. Peter's just gotten out of surgery and he needs to rest."

The doctor opened the doors for May to pass through. Natasha and Wanda followed her while the others decided to wait until the next day to visit Spidey. While Thor and Maria wanted to check on Peter too, they felt it was best to let the ones closest to him go first. Cap didn't say a word and quietly excused himself before he left.

...

May entered the room in silence and her spirits rose when she saw Peter sleeping away on the bed. Beside him was an IV bag on a stand with a catheter injected into the vein of his right wrist. The cardiac monitor showed a steady wave of his heart beats. Aside from the bandages and a few bruises on his face, her nephew didn't look all that bad for someone who'd just survived the brunt of a powerful explosion.

"...You should be proud of Peter." Natasha said softly. "He put himself on the line to save so many lives. I can't think of any other eighteen year old who'd be willing to do that."

May smiled. "I am...though it did scare the hell out of me when you said he'd been caught in an bomb explosion. Peter's been hurt a lot whenever he's out being Spider-Man but this was probably the worst incident he's had."

" _Маленький паук_ knows how to be careful. He's not reckless like back when he started out. It's just these things happen sometimes...whether we like it or not."

The beautiful aunt reluctantly nodded...as much as she wished it wasn't so, she knew Black Widow was right. The young Sokovian woman quietly stepped forward and knelt by her boyfriend's side.

"I'm so happy that you're safe...rest as much as you need." Wanda whispered before she pecked a kiss on Peter's face. "I'll be here for you."

Natasha and May placed their hands on her shoulders from behind. "So will we."

Helen came back in and notified them that it was time to leave. The three took one last look at Peter before they slowly left to let him sleep in peaceful silence.

...

\- **I kept the injuries Peter suffered from the explosion serious but basic and that goes for the surgery Dr. Cho performs on him too. I don't know much about the medical terms used and I didn't want to just make things up.**

 **\- Again, my utmost respects to the great Stan Lee. See you all next time.**


	17. Chapter 17

\- **December is finally here and I'd like to wish you all happy holidays. Yeah, I don't really have a lot to say so let's just get to the story.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter remained asleep on his bed for nearly a week now. Most of his injuries were already healed but not once did the young Spider stir from his slumber. Wanda stayed by his side for almost the entire time, wanting to be there for when he awoke. Black Widow practically had to order her to eat and rest so she wouldn't suffer from malnutrition and self-induced insomnia.

Even then, the Scarlet Witch would only take a short nap and eat quickly so she could return to Peter's side faster.

Natasha understood the feeling. The amount of time she spent watching over her little Spider almost rivaled Wanda's...but she also knew he wouldn't want to see that they've ignored the need to keep themselves healthy. May naturally came to visit but because she was unable to get some time off from work, she wasn't able to stay as much as she would've preferred. They had offered to let her stay in the compound but she politely refused. Getting to the hospital where she worked from here and back would take too long.

When Black Widow entered the infirmary to check on Peter again, she wasn't surprised to see the Scarlet Witch sleeping in the chair beside his bed.

"Wanda? Wake up." She gently shook her by the shoulder.

The young Sokovian woman's eyes fluttered a few times before she sat up straight and yawned. "N-natasha? What time is it?"

"Seven in the morning. You were here all night again, weren't you?"

"...Yeah."

Natasha shook her head. "I know you want to be here for Peter but that doesn't mean you should forget to take care of yourself. Go eat some breakfast and then take a nap."

"But I-" Wanda stopped mid-sentence when a yawn suddenly escaped her lips.

"No buts. You need to get some rest too. Peter wouldn't want to see you in such a tired state."

"Fine...let me know if he wakes up, alright?"

"Of course." Black Widow said with a smile.

Wanda smiled back before she quickly pecked a kiss on Peter's lips and left the room, closing the door behind her. Natasha made herself comfortable in the chair the young Sokovian woman just vacated. In her hand was an old novel that she had brought with her to read to help pass the time.

It was quiet in the room. The only sounds that could be heard was the steady beeping of the cardiac monitor Spider-Man was hooked up to and the rustling of paper everytime Black Widow turned a page in her book. She watched him for any sign of movement but other than his chest rising and falling every time he took a breath, Spidey remained completely still.

"Wake up soon, _Маленький паук_...we miss you." Natasha caressed the side of Peter's sleeping face before she went back to reading her book.

...

An hour later, someone knocked on the door. Black Widow put her book down and went to go see who it was. On the other side was Thor...and standing behind him were two familiar looking individuals.

"Dr. Foster? Ms. Lewis? When did you get here?"

"We've arrived just now." The God of thunder said, setting his disguised hammer down on a nearby table. "After I informed them of young Parker's situation, they asked to come and see him."

Jane smiled in greeting. "Sorry for coming on such short notice. We were in such a hurry that we forgot to call ahead...may we see Peter?"

Natasha nodded before she stepped aside and let them in. The two approached Spider-Man's bedside, taking care to stay quiet while they moved. Darcy's eyes were filled with worry as she placed her hand on top of Peter's.

"How is he?" The astrophysicist asked.

"Peter will be okay. The material of his new suit absorbed the brunt of the explosion. The worse injury by far was the internal bleeding but Dr. Cho managed to fix that last week." Black Widow explained. "Most of his wounds are already gone...he just hasn't woken up yet."

Darcy and Jane felt relieved to hear that. When Thor had told them what happened to Spider-Man yesterday, it nearly drove them into a frenzied panic. It was a bit disheartening to see that he hadn't woken up but the important thing was that he was alive and well.

"We're here, Peter." Darcy whispered. "Like I said before, us interns have to stick together."

Her boss smiled and gripped her shoulder as they watched the slumbering young Spider together. It still left them in awe to know that he willingly put his life on the line to save so many others.

Thor looked around the room. "Where is Lady Parker?"

"May's still working at the hospital. She wasn't able to take some time off from her job so she won't be here until later in the evening."

Jane was deep in thought, contemplating the idea of staying at the compound. She wanted to be here for Peter when he woke up. Fortunately, there was no work that needed to be done for a while so they could spend a few days here.

"Something on your mind?" Natasha asked. She noticed the distant look on Jane's face.

The famous astrophysicist snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh? Oh, it's just something silly...but I was wondering if it would be alright for Darcy and I to stay here until Peter wakes up?"

She expected her to say no and in all honesty, it would've been understandable. It was a rather sudden request. Her intern was looking at the Black Widow with a hopeful glint in her eyes. It was obvious she wanted to stay with Peter.

Fortunately for them both, Natasha only smirked. "Sure. We have a lot of rooms here. I'll tell the others you two will be staying here for a while."

"Really?" Jane asked, looking a little surprised. "A-are you sure? We don't want to be an inconvenience."

"You want to stay because you wish to be here for Peter. I'd hardly call that an inconvenience...if anything, I should thank you for supporting him."

Thor barked out a loud laugh as he clapped a hand on Jane's back. "It is only natural for friends to support one another. I am glad you two will be staying here."

"Thank you." Darcy said, giving Black Widow a grateful smile.

"No problem. FRIDAY, could you find two spare rooms for Dr. Foster and her intern to stay in?"

 _"Of course, Ms. Romanoff."_

"I will help guide them to their rooms. Lead the way, Ms. Friday." The God of thunder said, getting up from his seat to leave the room.

Darcy gazed at Peter's sleeping form once more before she left with Jane and Thor. Black Widow was left alone with the young Spider again and her eyes kept watch over him as she picked up her novel. It was good to have Jane and her intern here. Peter would be happy to see them again once he woke up. Natasha was certain Tony and the others wouldn't have a problem with them staying here. If they did, she could always just threaten them into agreeing.

Not that her threats were meant to be taken too seriously...but the team didn't need to know that.

It was a bit worrying that Peter hadn't woken up yet but Dr. Cho explained he required a prolonged period of time to recover from the massive damage the blast had inflicted on his body.

Black Widow set her book down for a moment to gaze at Peter's face. Like Wanda and the others, she'd be here for him when he finally woke up.

...

When it came close to lunch time, Natasha left the room albeit reluctantly to get some food. Wanda was already sitting at the table with Darcy and Jane. The Scarlet Witch didn't look as tired now after she took her brief nap...although there were still dark bags faintly coloured beneath her eyes.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you." Wanda said with a smile. "...Has Peter woken up yet?"

Natasha shook her head. "No. He still needs a little more time to recover, I think. I'm sure he'll wake up soon."

The young Sokovian woman nodded before she took another bite of her microwaved spaghetti. Black Widow made herself a couple of sandwiches and joined the others at the table. Jane seemed to be already done eating what with the empty plate in front of her while Darcy was still chewing on an apple for her dessert.

Maria eventually entered the room a few minutes later and the expression on her face wasn't something even Natasha was used to seeing...it was one of subtle anger. The brunette was almost always calm and reserved with her emotions so it was rare to see her angry at all.

"Hill? You okay?"

"I'm fine...but you should watch this."

She quickly grabbed the remote and turned on the tv. The news channel appeared on screen, where they were reporting a story about the Avengers and their last mission in Lagos.

" _A tragedy was averted last week in Lagos when Queen's own superhero, Spider-Man, sacrificed himself to ensure a bomb strapped vest detonated at a safe distance. It is estimated the blast would've killed at least twenty five people within two floors had it not been for Spider-Man's intervention. Most of the people that would've been affected are citizens of Wakanda, who were sent to Lagos on a peaceful outreach program. The Wakandan King was very grateful and praised the heroic efforts of Spider-Man."_

The scene shifted to that of a wise looking aged man standing behind a UN podium.

 _"On behalf of Wakanda, I humbly give thanks to Spider-Man for putting himself at risk to save so many innocent lives. Victory at the expense of the innocent is no victory at all and I am glad to see the Avengers were mindful of this fact. Our people's thoughts and prayers are with Spider-Man, whom we sincerely hope survived such an ordeal. May the great Bast grant him a swift recovery...Wakanda is forever in his debt."_

Wanda shared a smile of pride with Jane and Darcy. It was good to see someone appreciate Spider-Man's heroic actions...especially since it nearly cost his life. Natasha felt proud of Peter herself as she gave Maria a look of confusion.

"I don't understand why you're mad. Isn't this a good thing?"

Hill shook her head. "Keep watching. It's what comes after I'm not happy about."

The screen quickly returned to the news studio, where the hosts began to discuss the topic of the Avengers themselves.

 _"There's been an ongoing debate for months now about whether or not the Avengers should operate as a private organization. While they have saved the world many times, there are those who believe they're little more than vigilantes who hold no regards for the law. The damage left behind from their previous battles has yet to fully be fixed even after these years...and the lives lost in the aftermath has been blamed on their actions by some."_

There was a look of disbelief on Darcy's face. "They can't be serious...are these people so stupid that they can't tell you guys are fighting to keep them safe?"

"My sentiments exactly." Maria grumbled.

Natasha and Wanda didn't know how to answer that but they were asking the same question in their minds. The Avengers worked to fight off the supervillains that the police and military couldn't. Collateral damage was always inevitable and they couldn't save everyone...not matter how hard they fought to prevent that.

 _"I think the Avengers should be kept in check."_ One of the hosts said with a tone of disdain. _"They have no legal authority to operate in foreign nations and yet they completely disregard international borders to chase down criminals. They and other enhanced individuals like them are dangerous to the general public."_

Jane glared at the moronic news host. "This guy's a fucking idiot...did he forget the fact that supervillains hold no regards for the law either? Unlike you guys, they don't give a damn about hurting the civilians."

Black Widow couldn't help but smirk. It was amusing to see the polite astrophysicist verbally tear someone down. She and Wanda understood why Hill was angry though...some of the media and people were wrongfully blaming them for things beyond their control.

Maria tiredly sighed as she rubbed her eyes. "Similar discussions like this have been happening over the major news networks all morning...I'm even getting reports that the UN is beginning to talk as well."

The God of thunder suddenly rushed in, looking frantic as he searched the room for something.

"Thor? What are you looking for?" Jane asked.

"The Man of Spiders..." He said. "He's no longer in his bed and I cannot find him."

...

\- **The next part will follow the aftermath of the Lagos mission a little more before the story deviates somewhere else. As I mentioned before, this is an AU. Till next time, everyone.**


	18. Chapter 18

**\- What's up, guys? Sorry I've been gone for so long. My laptop broke a while back and so I was unable to write anything. Until I'm able to purchase a new one, I'm stuck borrowing a friend of mine's laptop...which sucks because I can only use it whenever she doesn't need it for work.**

 **\- My updates won't be as frequent as I'd like so just a heads up on that. I've tried typing on my phone...but it's at such a slow rate that I doubt I'd ever be able to finish a story at all.**

 **Thanks for your patience. Enjoy!**

...

Peter's eyes struggled to open before he was finally able to wake up. The young Spider carefully sat upright...his mind was still a little hazy. It took a moment for him to remember how and why he was in the medical bay. Someone had taken the time to put on a simple grey shirt for him while he was unconscious. Hooked into his right wrist was a catheter that was connected to an IV stand. The IV bag itself seemed to be empty.

" _Welcome back, Peter!"_ FRIDAY cheerfully greeted from above. " _I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"_

Spidey scratched the back of his head. "A bit sore and my throat's a little dry but I'm fine. How long was I out?"

" _You've been asleep for almost a week after Dr. Cho successfully performed the surgery needed to stop your internal bleeding."_

A week? That was a new record...he had never been bedridden for so long before. Then again, he did take on the explosion of a powerful bomb at point blank range. It made sense the time to recover from that would be lengthy...even with his enhanced healing factor.

"I see. Where is everyone?"

 _"They're in the dining area. Would you like me to call them here?"_

Peter really wanted to see everyone but he felt the need to clear his head first. Having been asleep for almost a week, he just wanted to stretch his legs.

"Not yet. I just want to get some fresh air first. I'm going to the rooftop."

" _Are you sure?"_

He nodded. "Don't worry, I won't be doing anything reckless. I'm just going up there to admire the view for a little bit."

The young Spider got off the bed and stumbled on his feet a little before he slowly left the infirmary.

...

"What do you mean Peter's missing?" Wanda asked, feeling worried almost immediately.

Everyone else stood up with a similar look of alarm and concern. Thor just seemed lost as he tried to explain.

"I went to check on young Parker on my way here." The God of Thunder said. "But he was no longer on his bed nor in the infirmary."

Darcy looked to the others. "Did somebody take him?"

Natasha was worried too but it was hard to tell given how calm she looked. In truth, her mind was deep in thought. FRIDAY would've noticed and notified them right away if an intruder had broken into the building. It was unlikely someone kidnapped the young Spider.

It'd be a really stupid move on their part.

"I don't think so." She said before looking to the ceiling. "FRIDAY, do you know where Peter is?"

"... _He is sitting on the roof, watching the surrounding forests. He woke up not too long ago."_

Maria glared annoyingly at the ceiling. "Why didn't you tell us Peter was awake?"

" _My apologies."_ FRIDAY replied. " _Peter_ _wanted to clear his head first before seeing you all and he asked me to wait until he was ready."_

Hill softened her stance upon hearing that. She could understand why Peter wanted to take a moment for himself. He would've felt a little overwhelmed if they all rushed to see him, especially since he just woke up from a week long slumber.

"Wanda and Natasha should go see Peter first then. We'll wait until you bring him back to the infirmary."

The two nodded before they left the table. While everyone else wished to see Peter too, it was best to let them go to him first. Out of all of them, it was the Scarlet Witch and Black Widow who was arguably the closest to Spidey.

Wanda felt a little nervous as she and Natasha entered the elevator. Even though May didn't hold her responsible for Peter's injuries, the young Sokovian woman still harboured some guilt in her heart.

"You okay?" Natasha asked.

"I'm fine...just a little anxious."

"...Relax. Like May said, it wasn't your fault." Black Widow already knew what was on her mind. "None of us blame you for what happened and I know for a fact that Peter won't either."

Wanda smirked as she gestured to her heart. "I know but it's here that refuses to let go of the guilt...however misplaced it may be."

When they finally arrived on the rooftop and the elevator doors slid open, there was no sign of the young Spider at all. Natasha and Wanda stepped out to take a look around. Walking to where the ventilators were, they finally spotted Spidey...sitting comfortably on the floor. Down below was a grand view of the surrounding forest and grassy fields.

"Peter?" The Scarlet Witch called out.

There was no response at first and it worried them as the two rushed to see if there was something wrong. Once they saw Peter's face, they immediately relaxed...it turns out he was simply dozing with his head down. The young Spider must've fallen asleep in the midst of admiring the natural sights below.

Black Widow gently shook him by his shoulder. " _Маленький_ _паук_? Wake up."

"Hmm?" Spider-Man snapped awake before he rubbed his tired eyes. "Tasha? Wanda?"

"Yeah, it's us. How are you feeling?"

"A little sore and stiff but that's about it. Sorry for not coming to see you guys first...I just wanted to get some fresh air."

Wanda sat down beside him. "Don't worry about it. We understand. We're just happy to finally have you back."

"Is everyone alright?" He asked.

"They're fine, thanks to you. Rumlow's dead but the civilians are safe." Natasha explained. "...Please don't scare us like that again. I really thought we were going to lose you."

Peter placed his hand on top of hers. "...I'm sorry. I couldn't stand by and do nothing though."

"It's me who owes you an apology. If only I had moved that bastard further away from the building, you wouldn't have needed to sacrifice yourself." The Scarlet Witch said quietly, her eyes looking down in shame.

"You don't have to apologize for anything. It's not your fault that I got hurt...and you saved my life. If it weren't for you, I could've fallen to my death."

"But I-"

Her words stopped mid sentence when Peter suddenly pressed his lips against hers. Wanda was surprised for a moment before she relaxed and kissed Peter back.

After a long minute, the young Spider slowly pulled away. "It's not your fault, okay?"

"Okay." She whispered with a small grin.

"That was pretty smooth, _Маленький_ _паук_." The Black Widow said, smirking before she leaned in to kiss Peter too.

Peter smiled against her lips as Natasha gently held the side of his face. It was only when the need to breathe caught up to them both that they finally broke the kiss.

"...Ready to go back downstairs?" She asked. "Your body hasn't fully recovered yet and you still need to rest."

Peter nodded and slowly got to his feet. Natasha placed his arm over her shoulders to hold him steady as they walked. Wanda went ahead and opened the elevator doors for them to enter first.

"You should know you have some visitors who came here to see you."

"Really? Who?" He asked with a curious look.

Black Widow smiled. "You'll know once we get back downstairs. Don't worry, they're close friends of yours."

...

Almost a second after Natasha and Wanda helped him get back to the med-bay, two very familiar people rushed into the room with Thor following right behind them.

Darcy gave Peter a firm hug with a big grin on her face. "I'm so glad you're okay, dude. You really had Jane and I worried for a while."

Spidey winced a little from how tight she was squeezing his body. While his wounds were mostly healed, his muscles were still weak and stiff after almost a week of inactivity. Jane noticed the slight grimace of pain on Peter's face and she placed her hand on Darcy's shoulder to get her to release her hold on him.

"Darcy, I think you're hugging him just a bit too tight. You should let go."

"Oops! I'm sorry." The intern immediately pulled her arms back. "You okay? Oh god, I hope I didn't hurt you."

"Don't worry, I'm alright. My body's just a little sore. It's good to see you both. When did you get here?"

"We arrived not too long ago." The astrophysicist explained. "Thor brought us here after he explained what happened to you last night."

The God of Thunder stepped forward and placed a hand on Spidey's shoulder. "I am happy to see that you're alright, young Parker."

"Thanks, Thor." Peter said before he suddenly yawned.

"You should get some more rest." Natasha advised. "We'll wake you up again in a few hours."

As much as he wanted to stay awake, his mind and body still felt exhausted...a few more hours of sleep couldn't hurt. The young Spider nodded at the idea before he laid his head back down on the pillow.

Wanda pulled up a chair and set it beside the bed. "I'll stay here in case you need anything."

The others quietly left the room, leaving the two youngest Avengers alone. Peter watched his girlfriend as she tried to make herself comfortable in the stiff looking chair.

"...Seems like you haven't been sleeping much." He said, having noticed the faint dark bags beneath her eyes. "You can rest here with me if you want. I'm sure the bed is big enough for the both of us."

"I'll be fine. I already took a nap earlier. Not that I don't want to but I don't think having someone press on your bandages is a good idea."

Peter chuckled as he moved over a little. "So long as you don't squeeze the life out of me, I think I'll be alright."

Wanda hesitated for a moment before she removed her shoes and slowly climbed onto the bed. FRIDAY took the liberty of turning off the lights as the Scarlet Witch laid down beside Peter.

"Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"I will. I love you." The young Spider said as he closed his eyes. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

"I love you too." Wanda whispered, pecking her lips on Peter's forehead before she quickly drifted to sleep herself.

The others were walking down the hall, all relieved to know that Spider-Man would be okay. Jane and Darcy would stay for a few days even though Peter already woke up. They'd been planning to take some time off from their work anyways and now seemed like a good chance to relax. The astrophysicist and her intern headed for their own rooms to rest for a while.

Thor said he needed to take care of something before he went his own way, leaving the Black Widow alone as she approached the living area. Maria was still in the room...looking a little exasperated as she hung up her cellphone. The annoyed scowl on her face changed into a friendly smirk when she saw the Black Widow.

"Hey. How's Peter? Is he alright?"

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, he's okay. We brought him back to the infirmary. He's currently resting with Wanda."

Hill sighed out of relief. "Good. That's the best news I've heard today."

"What do you mean?"

"I just got off the phone with one of our contacts in the government." She said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "...The Secretary of State will be coming here in a few days."

...

\- **The next part is where things start to diverge into the AU part a bit more. As I've said before, it might be a while before I release the next update but I'll do my best to get it done. Till next time, folks.**


	19. Chapter 19

**\- Like most of you, I saw the Spider-Man: Far from Home trailer and it looks pretty good. The film won't be out for a while but I'm just glad Peter's alive and well. That goes for Nick Fury too.**

 **\- Yeah, I don't have much else to say so let's just get to the story.**

 **Take your time reading. Enjoy.**

 **...**

"Peter? Wake up."

Even in his drowsy state, Peter could feel someone shaking his shoulder and that woke him up fairly quickly. Wanda was still asleep beside him...she must've been more tired than he first thought. The hand that shook him awake turned out to be Natasha's, who was standing beside the bed.

"Nat?"

She greeted the young Spider with a smile. "Sleep well?"

Peter nodded before a yawn escaped his lips. "What time is it?"

"Around six. Dinner will be here in an hour." Black Widow glanced at the Scarlet Witch's sleeping form. "Looks like Wanda's finally getting the rest she needs."

"Yeah...wait, she hasn't been sleeping lately?"

"Ever since you got hurt? No, not a lot. Wanda stayed by your side for almost the entire time you were out. The only time she slept or ate was when Maria and I told her to."

His heart felt a stab of guilt. "...I didn't mean to worry her so much."

Natasha shook her head as she caressed the side of his face. "Don't feel bad, _Маленький паук._ Wanda stayed by your side because she loves you...like I do. I would've done the same thing too."

Peter smiled. "You both have been taking good care of me. Now it's my turn."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I figure the first thing I can do is bake the lemon meringue pie that you both love so much."

Hearing that made her grin. "We're definitely looking forward to it then...though you should wait until you're all better."

" _Peter?"_ FRIDAY chimed in from above. " _Your Aunt is here to see you."_

Soon as the A.I. finished saying so, May rushed into the room. She must've ran up here as she looked to be a little out of breath. Nevertheless, it didn't stop her from racing towards the young Spider.

"Peter!" She cried out, pulling her beloved nephew into a firm hug. Peter happily returned her embrace. Tears of relief and joy ran down May's face, soaking his shoulder a little.

Natasha wisely stepped out of her way when she ran towards the young Spider. Seeing the two Parkers reunite again brought a warm smile to her face.

Peter gently patted her back. "I'm okay. I'm sorry to have worried you so much."

"You don't have to apologize. The bastard that tried to kill you is the one who should be sorry." May growled out. "This Crossbones guy is lucky he's dead...otherwise I would've kicked his ass."

The young Spider chuckled nervously...somehow he had a feeling his Aunt would actually be able to do that, regardless of the fact that the deceased man was a skilled Hydra terrorist. Natasha just smirked out of amusement. May was a fierce woman when it came to protecting Peter. Anyone stupid enough to incur her wrath was bound to regret it.

"Hm? Is that Wanda sleeping beside you?" She asked, having noticed her just now.

Peter nodded. "She's been watching over me ever since I got out of surgery and hasn't gotten much rest as a result. I said it was okay for her to sleep here if she wanted."

"Is that right? That's really nice of her." May said, grinning. It quickly turned into a frown when she checked her watch. "Damn it...I'm really sorry, sweetheart. I have to go now."

"You just got here though. You sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Black Widow asked.

"I'd love to but I can't. There's still a lot of paperwork I have to finish signing and I need to get up early for work tomorrow. Thank you though."

May leaned down and pecked a kiss on Peter's face. "I'll come back to see you as soon as my shift is over. You just rest and get better, okay?"

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too."

May waved goodbye to Natasha before she left the infirmary and made her way back to her car. A few moments after she left, the Scarlet Witch slowly began to wake up.

"Hmm...Peter?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm here. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah. I didn't press on your bandages, did I?"

Peter shook his head. "I'm alright."

"You woke up just in time for dinner." Natasha said. "I hope you're hungry and don't tell me you're not because I know you haven't been eating much for the last week."

Her stomach growled loudly in response, making Wanda blush a little out of embarrassment. Black Widow and Spidey just chuckled...before his own stomach began to rumble too.

"Sounds like you're both hungry. I'll bring the food to you. Wanda, will you be eating here or with the others?"

The young Sokovian woman placed her hand on top of Peter's. "I'm staying here."

Natasha wasn't surprised to hear her say so. "...Then so am I. I'll be back with your food. I hope you two like Chinese."

Black Widow turned and left for the dining area, leaving the two youngest Avengers alone again in the medical bay. The Scarlet Witch covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned again.

"Still tired? You can go back to sleep if you want."

"I'm okay. Trust me, I'm feeling a lot better now after napping with you."

"Tasha explained how you've been watching over me the entire time I was out. I'm sorry for making you worry so much...thanks for taking care of me."

Wanda shook her head with a smile. "It was no trouble at all. Besides, you'd do the very same for me."

"Always...but it wouldn't be right if I didn't thank you in some way though. So I'm planning to make a little something special for you and Natasha."

"What is it?"

A smirk graced his lips. "Oh, just the lemon meringue pie you two love so much."

Her eyes practically lit up in excitement as she pulled him back down onto the bed with her. Laying her head on Peter's chest, Wanda let out a sigh of content as she relaxed. They still had a few minutes before Natasha came back with supper...it wouldn't hurt to rest for a little more until then.

...

Peter woke up early the next morning and was busy looking over the schematics of his new suit on a holographic screen. Wanda had left with Hill earlier so they could train together. Before they left, Maria informed him that the Secretary of State would be coming here in a few days for reasons still unknown to them.

He didn't know what to think of that...he only had a bad feeling about it though. Considering his less than friendly history with the missing Dr. Banner, Peter very much doubted the Secretary was coming here to commend the Avengers for their continuous heroic efforts. On the bright side, knowing that the King of Wakanda thanked him for saving so many Wakandan lives felt really awesome. It was good to hear at least someone appreciated their efforts.

Looking back to the schematics of his new suit, the young Spider came up with a few ideas to improve it. It was largely thanks to both the suit and his enhanced durability that he survived such a powerful explosion but Peter knew there were more dangerous things out there that could harm him too. He needed to find a way to make the suit at least a bit more protective.

' _Hmm...m_ _aybe I can add some sort of energy shielding within the nanites themselves.'_

" _Маленький_ _паук?"_

He turned his head to see Black Widow enter the infirmary. In her hands was a bottle of apple juice. "Hey, Nat. What's up?"

"Just here to bring you your daily bottle of apple juice." She said, sitting in the chair set beside his bed. "Dr. Cho's orders, remember? You have to drink iron rich fluids twice a day."

Spidey took the bottle and opened it. He drank about half of the apple juice inside before he set it down again.

"Ah, that was good. Thank you." Peter nodded in gratitude. "...You know you don't have to keep doing this. I'm sure you have more important things to do than make juice deliveries for me."

Natasha placed her hand on his shoulder. "Nothing's more important to me than making sure you get better. How do you feel?"

"Pretty good. Dr. Cho said I'd probably only need a couple more days of bedrest before I'm cleared to leave."

 _"Peter? There are two people at the entrance who claim to be acquaintances of yours and are here to see you."_ FRIDAY said from above.

"Who are they?"

The AI was silent for a moment as she asked the two individuals for their names. _"A Mr. Matt Murdock and Ms. Jessica Jones. Shall I send them in?"_

Peter nodded with a smirk. "Go ahead. They're friends of mine."

"Jessica Jones..." Natasha murmured before she recalled where she heard the name from. "She's that private detective friend of yours, right?"

"Yeah. Matt Murdock's a lawyer. I've never been to a courtroom before but I've heard he's really good."

The two Defenders walked into the medical bay. Matt was wearing a business suit while Jessica was dressed in more casual clothes. It didn't surprise Spidey to see a whiskey bottle in Jessica's hand. The bottle was still unopened though so at least she hadn't started to drink yet.

"You must be the infamous Black Widow." Matt said, offering his hand. "It's an honour to meet you. My name is Matt Murdock."

Natasha nodded as she shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you too."

Jessica merely gave her a half hearted wave. "Hey."

"Ms. Jones."

"You know my name?"

"I overheard Peter mentioning it when you called him a week ago." She explained.

"I see. Speaking of Peter..." The private investigator approached Spidey and checked his temperature with her hand. "Didn't I tell you to be careful, webhead?"

He simply shrugged. "The bad guy was about to blow himself up so he could take out Captain America and the people around us. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

"You could've at least thought of a better way to get that asshole away from everyone." Jessica sighed before she gave a small grin. "Still, that was a pretty ballsy move you pulled and no one was killed. Nice work."

Matt stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Indeed. You did good, Peter. It would've been a catastrophe if you hadn't intervened."

"Thanks, guys. Anything major happen while I was gone?"

"Not really. Just the usual small time morons committing robberies and muggings...or at least they tried to. We kicked their dumb asses pretty good." Jessica said with a hint of pride in her voice.

"You didn't break any bones, did you?" The young Spider asked.

She thought about it for a moment. "Aside from a broken nose or two, not really. Well, we found this one guy who tried to rape this underage girl in an alleyway. Luke thankfully stopped him before anything happened...and he kinda broke both of the dipshit's legs."

"That's a little harsh. Then again, it's not like I'm feeling sorry for that bastard."

If there was one thing Peter hated seeing in his three years as Spider-Man, it was the criminals who attempted to take advantage of someone vulnerable and rob them of their dignity. He had grown used to having to stop such lewd acts but just the idea of sexual assault never ceased to make his stomach turn.

Natasha, who'd been standing behind the Defenders as they talked with Peter, was glad to hear this Luke person stopped such a heinous crime before anything could happen to the girl.

"Me neither." Murdock murmured. "Luke and Danny send their regards by the way. They wanted to be here but Danny had a meeting he couldn't get out of and Cage is busy tracking someone down."

"Of course. I should go and thank them for their help once I'm cleared to leave."

"We'll let them know. For now, you just focus on recovering your health."

"Yeah. You still owe me those chocolate chip pancakes, remember?" Jessica reminded. "I've already gone a whole week without having any. I'm hoping I'll be able to finally eat some the next time I see you."

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten." Spidey said, chuckling. "You're not the only one I promised to make food for. Once I'm all healed up, I'll make them right away."

She smirked. "Good. Seriously though, get better soon. If this Crossbones guy was still alive, I would've ripped him a new asshole."

As unlikely as it seemed, Peter got the feeling Jessica and his aunt May would get along tremendously well if they ever met.

"We have to go. Take care of yourself, okay?" Daredevil removed his hand from Spider-Man's shoulder. "We'll come see you again soon."

Peter waved with a smile. "Thanks for coming by, guys. It was good to see you."

Jessica ruffled Peter's hair. "Great to see you too, Spidey. Better have those pancakes ready the next time I come back."

"I promise they'll be fresh and ready for you to eat."

The private investigator grinned before she and Matt turned to leave. On their way out, the two Defenders nodded their goodbyes to Black Widow. Natasha nodded back with a friendly smile.

"They seem nice." She said, sitting back down in the chair beside the bed.

"Yeah. Too bad Danny and Luke couldn't come but I'll go see them once I'm all better."

"Ms. Jones kept mentioning your chocolate chip pancakes. Are they as good as your lemon meringue pie?"

Peter thought about it. "Uh, I don't know. I've never really compared the two before."

"Maybe she and I could do a taste test and find out which dessert is better." She offered.

"...You just want me to bake more sweets for you and her, don't you?" He jokingly asked.

Natasha unashamedly shrugged with a smirk. "Perhaps. You can't really blame us though...your cooking is really good."

...

Two days later, Peter was still in the infirmary. Sitting with him now was Jane and she was currently telling him about the progress her research has made since his last visit. He was pleased to hear the upgrades he made to their equipment actually helped a lot in finding the data they needed and they were just a few steps away from proving her theories to be true.

"That's really great, Jane. I hope you'll find that last missing piece soon."

The famous astrophysicist nodded in agreement. "I know we'll find it and when we do, it'll be thanks to you."

"It'll happen because of all your dedication and hard work. All I did was give a little technical support."

"You did more than that, Peter. If our work does end up winning the Nobel Prize, I'll be sure to tell the world your part in helping us."

Spidey chuckled. "That's nice of you but it's fine. I'm just happy I was able to help one of my favourite scientists."

Jane smiled fondly at Peter...he never ceased to amaze her. He was probably the most respectful guy she's ever met and knowing that she was one of his favourite scientists made her feel proud to be an astrophysicist. Darcy soon came back to the room with a bottle of his apple juice in one hand while a notebook was tucked beneath her other arm.

"I'm back." Her intern said, approaching the bed before she gave Peter the bottled beverage. "Here. Black Widow asked me to give this to you."

"Thanks." The young Spider opened it and took a quick sip.

Darcy handed the notebook to her boss. "And here are the notes you asked me to get. I thought we were taking some time off though. Why are you working on this now?"

"I'm just double checking to make sure the atmospheric data we recorded before coming here is accurate."

Her intern nodded at this before she turned back to Peter. "So how are you feeling?"

"Good. It won't be long before I'm cleared to leave. How did your tour of New York with Thor go yesterday?"

"It was okay. Thor actually knew where he was going so we didn't get lost. It was fun to watch him play around with some dogs when we stopped by Central Park yesterday."

"Really?" Peter tried to mentally picture the God of thunder playing around with a bunch of puppies. "Man, I wish I was there to see that."

"I took some photos with my phone. I'll send them to you later."

"That'd be cool. Thank you."

Darcy smiled. "No problem, dude. Just be ready to laugh. Some of them are actually pretty funny."

"Excuse me, Dr. Foster?"

Jane looked away from her notes and saw Captain America walk in with the Falcon following behind him.

"I apologize if we've interrupted anything." He said with a polite smile. "We'd like to talk to Peter alone for a moment if that's okay."

The astrophysicist and her intern looked to Peter, who nodded to let them know he'd be alright. Jane nodded back before she grabbed her notebook and left with Darcy for the exit. The super soldier waited until they were gone before he finally spoke what was on his mind.

"We want to apologize, Peter."

Spidey was confused. "For what?"

"For doubting you for so long." Steve clarified. Falcon nodded to show he felt the same way. "When we first met, Sam and I were very skeptical about the idea of having such a young kid work with us. We thought being a superhero was all just some sort of a game to you...but you proved us wrong when you willingly sacrificed yourself to save so many lives last week."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, kid. Even I'd be a little scared at the thought of throwing myself on top of a bomb. Yet you did it anyways so the civilians around us wouldn't get hit. That takes some serious guts."

Peter didn't know what to say. He wasn't used to being praised by both Captain America and the Falcon. While they were never mean to him, he didn't really interact with them much.

"Uh, t-thanks. It's not that I wasn't afraid though...I just didn't have the time to feel scared, you know?"

Steve smirked. "Trust me, I know what that's like. You did good though and I'm proud to have you on this team."

He offered his hand and after a momentary pause, Peter slowly shook it. It felt surreal...to finally earn the respect of the legendary super soldier.

"Thanks, Cap."

"Get better soon, kid. I'm looking forward to the next time we get to work together." Captain Rogers said before he turned around and left.

Sam gave him an encouraging pat on the back before he quickly followed Steve out of the room. Peter couldn't help but feel a bit proud of himself...he too was looking forward to his next mission with the first Avenger.

Little did Spider-Man know that it'd be a long time before he got to work with Captain America again.

...

"Alright. I think we can take these bandages off now. Are you ready?"

Spider-Man gave the go ahead to Dr. Cho with a nod. "Yeah. Let's do this."

Wanda and Natasha were sitting on the bed, watching as Helen began to remove the bandages around Peter's arms first. She was pleased to find no scars had been left behind and quickly cut away the wrappings around his wrists . When she moved to take off the bandages around his waist, Peter couldn't help but giggle as her fingers inadvertently tickled his sides.

"Hold still." Helen scolded. She couldn't help but smirk though...Spidey's giggles just sounded adorable.

"Peter can't help it." Wanda said with a small grin. "He's very ticklish there."

"So are you." The young Spider playfully retorted.

Black Widow just chuckled at the banter between the two youngest Avengers. Maria soon entered the room with some fresh clothes in her hands. She had grabbed them from Peter's quarters just before arriving here.

"Thought you could use a change of clothes." She said, setting them down on the bed. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. I'm finally able to get out of here and walk around. Not that it was bad or anything but being cooped in here for so long was starting to get boring."

Maria laughed a little. "Now you know how my job feels like sometimes."

Helen cut away the last of the bandages with her scissors. "That's the last of it. How do you feel?"

The young Spider stretched his arms as he swung his body from side to side. Some of his muscles still felt a little stiff but otherwise everything seemed to be okay.

"All fine here. I don't feel any pain."

"That's good." Dr. Cho said. "If there's any problems, you let me know."

Peter nodded. "I will. Thank you again, Doctor."

Helen smiled and threw the old bandages into the garbage before she left the room. Natasha handed the fresh clothes over to Peter.

"Thanks. I'll be right back." He said before he went to the bathroom to go change.

Black Widow looked to Maria. "Any news on when the Secretary of State will arrive?"

"If it's not today, then he'll either be here tomorrow or the day after. Why?"

"Just wondering if we should keep Peter away from him. He's the only one here whose identity is still a secret and I don't want that government dog to figure out he's Spider-Man."

Wanda's eyes widened. "Do you think he'll find out?"

Natasha folded her arms. "I doubt it but if the Secretary sees Peter, he might suspect him to be Spider-Man since he's the only one who matches his age."

"We should talk to Peter about it then." Hill advised. "It might be a good idea to move him before the Secretary gets h-"

 _"I'm sorry to interrupt but the boss has just returned from his trip to MIT. He's asked for everyone to assemble in the meeting room."_ FRIDAY informed. " _...Secretary Ross has arrived with him."_

...

 **\- Now I'm really starting to wish Spider-Man by Insomniac wasn't console exclusive. I would've loved to get myself immersed in the story...from what I've heard, it's really well written. I've already seen the gameplay component of it and it's really awesome.**

 **\- No telling when the next update to this will be released. I still haven't gotten a new laptop yet but I'll do my best to get it done. See you all next time.**


	20. Chapter 20

**\- Some have asked if this will go into the events of Infinity War. I have thought of a few ideas for it but I want to focus on this part first. So all I can say for now is that it's a possibility.**

 **Enjoy.**

...

Peter felt a little nervous as he made his way to the meeting room. He was half way done changing his clothes when FRIDAY informed everyone that Secretary Ross was here. He told the others to go on ahead first.

By the time he got there, the meeting with the Secretary of State had already begun. Mr. Stark was sitting in the back...looking very weary and tired for some reason. The young Spider had a feeling it wasn't just jet lag that was affecting him. It seemed as though there was a lot weighing on the billionaire's mind.

All eyes turned to him when he entered...including Secretary Ross's, who was glaring his way with a bit of suspicion.

"Who are you?" He demanded. "You cannot be here, young man. This meeting is confidential between the Avengers and the US government."

"Ease up, old man. This is just my intern. I asked him to come here so he can offer us a civilian's perspective of the Accords." Tony explained, giving Peter a look that told him to just go along with it.

He had no idea what the hell Mr. Stark was talking about but he simply nodded in agreement.

"The Accords haven't even been made official yet, Stark. You can't just go and give out classified information to anyone you like."

Tony shrugged. "The details of the Accords will be released to the public once they're signed in Vienna anyways. Peter here can give us an early insight as to how the people will feel about the Accords."

Secretary Ross growled out of annoyance...as much as he hated to admit it, there was some merit in Stark's idea.

"Fine." He said before he turned to address the intern. "Let me ask you something, young man. What's your viewpoint of the Avengers?"

Peter glanced around the room for a moment. The other Avengers were looking at him with various degrees of curiosity. Captain America in particular seemed very interested in his answer.

"I think they're heroes, sir." He finally said. "They've saved the world many times before at the risk of their own lives."

Natasha smirked at that as did Wanda and a few of the other Avengers. Steve gave Peter a small nod of thanks for his praise.

"You don't believe them to be vigilantes who continuously operate outside the legal jurisdiction of the law? You realize there are the local police who handle and deal with criminals."

Peter barely suppressed the desire to roll his eyes. "I doubt the local law enforcement and regular military forces are capable of defending us from the superhuman threats the Avengers have already defeated."

Ross glared at the young intern. "That's your opinion and one I'll have to respectfully disagree with. All the battles that the Avengers have fought in...some of the collateral damage left behind still hasn't been completely fixed yet. Some even blame the Avengers for all the innocent lives lost."

Behind them, Tony looked down to the ground in shame. He was reminded of a certain interaction he had with a grieving mother back at MIT.

"I don't agree with that...I think those people are blaming the Avengers out of convenience." The young Spider said. "People make irrational decisions when they're grieving or angry."

"I see." Even the Secretary grudgingly had to admit this kid brought up a good point.

"Is there a reason for all these questions?"

The Secretary's aide handed him a book. There were many pages to it and on the cover, it was titled the Sokovia Accords.

"The UN has decided the Avengers can no longer be a private organization. Instead, they will now work under the supervision of a United Nations panel."

Peter didn't like the sound of that. "...So what you're saying is that the Avengers are now at the whims of the government and can save lives only if this panel says so."

"You don't agree with the idea?"

"No and I can assure you that I won't be the only one."

"Well, this is the only way to keep dangerous enhanced individuals like them in check so you and the others will have to learn to live with it." Ross said before he turned his attention back to the other Avengers.

Peter quietly scoffed. He really didn't like this guy. It was obvious that the Secretary wasn't a fan of super powered individuals like himself and only thought of them as dangerous weapons to be contained.

"The UN will meet in Vienna in three days to ratify the Accords. Talk it over."

"And if we come to a decision you don't like?" Black Widow asked.

"Then you retire. Immediately" The Secretary replied without hesitation.

He and his aide turned to leave but not before he gave one last look at Stark's intern. "What you've just heard is still classified at the moment and highly sensitive information. I trust you'll keep it a secret."

"I won't say a word." The young Spider muttered. The details were going to be made public in three days. He wasn't going to bother wasting his breath blabbing about it.

Ross gave a curt nod and finally left with his aide in tow. The Avengers stayed seated where they were, thinking heavily on what had just been told to them. Peter was still confused about a lot of things and he needed some answers.

"So...can someone fill me in on what just happened?"

"I need a drink first." Tony got up from his seat. "We're gonna be discussing this in the lounge so I'll explain everything there."

The rest of the Avengers left the meeting room in silence. Natasha and Wanda gave Peter a brief smile as they walked next to him. Tony was behind the group, looking more exhausted by the minute.

"You okay, Mr. Stark?" He asked.

"I'm fine, kid. That's something I should be asking you...I heard about what happened in Lagos. Good work by the way. Are you okay though?"

Peter nodded. "I'm alright. Dr. Cho gave me the clearance to leave the medical bay today. Did Ross ask about Spider-Man?"

"Yep. He asked about Thor and the Hulk too. We told him that they were gone and you were busy patrolling the city. He didn't say anything about it afterwards."

Hearing that made Peter feel more at ease. His simple explanation for the Hulk's and Thor's absences wasn't technically a lie either. The God of thunder had gone back to Asgard yesterday to take care of something. Even Jane didn't know why he left but she did say he'd be back later today. As for Dr. Banner, nobody knew where he was.

It seemed like Mr. Stark was busy thinking about something else though. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah...My day at MIT is just getting to me is all." Tony said before he sped up his pace.

...

Peter dangled upside down on the ceiling with his webbing as he thought about everything that had been told to him. The other Avengers were gathered around the table in the lounge, debating with each other about whether or not they should sign the Accords. Tony and Rhodes used a lot of complicated political terms when they explained the situation but he understood the main points of what they were saying fairly quickly.

It seems the government hasn't been too happy with the Avengers and the battles they've fought in the last couple of years. The situation back in Lagos turned out to be the final straw as they believed both Captain America's negligence in handling the threat and Wanda's recklessness nearly caused a tragedy. They were certain it was only a matter of time before the Avengers made one costly mistake that would result in a greater loss of lives.

Tony did say they were grateful for Spider-Man's timely intervention so at least the politicians weren't completely ignorant of the facts.

He had read a bit of the proposed Accords and he didn't like what he found. Ross wasn't kidding when he said the Avengers could only act if and only if the UN panel sent to supervise them deemed it okay. In other words, if there was a crisis that required the help of the Avengers...they would have to wait until the UN gave them permission to intervene.

Peter couldn't help but snort at the absurdity of it. By the time they got through all that red tape, it would be too late to help anyone.

Overall, the purpose of the Sokovia Accords was to limit the power of the Avengers and make them a legitimate response force under the command of the UN. It sounded suspiciously like a well disguised version of conscription to him though...and he had no doubts Ross and others like him with hidden agendas would exploit their newfound power over the Avengers once the Accords were made official.

"Kid! Yo, Underoos!"

Peter snapped out of his thoughts and dropped down from the ceiling. Colonel Rhodes and Sam were glaring at each other while Captain America was busy reading over the Accords. Tony looked at his intern with folded arms.

"What is it, Mr. Stark?" He asked, standing beside the couch where Wanda and Vision sat.

"I've been calling you over for almost a minute. You were thinking about the Accords, weren't you?"

"Yeah."

Tony nodded. "Good. So what's your stance on this?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Spider-Man. Peter considered his words carefully before he finally spoke.

"...I don't think these Accords are a good idea. There's so many loopholes in these conditions that Ross and the UN could exploit. We're essentially just surrendering ourselves to their command if we agree to this."

Steve discretely smiled as did Sam while Natasha appeared to be on the fence. Wanda just paid close attention to Peter, wanting to hear his reasons first before she made a decision.

Rhodes raised an eyebrow at the webslinger. "Why would that be a bad thing? Their orders for us will be made from carefully made decisions based on their experiences and knowledge of the situation."

Peter folded his arms. "Last time I checked, the Avengers aren't an army. Just handing them the power to make judgement calls for us doesn't exactly make it the right thing to do either."

"We didn't hold back on anything when we fought Ultron in Sokovia." Tony said quietly. "And because we were so caught up in doing that, many people died during the fight. It's like I said earlier...if we can't accept limitations, we're no better than the bad guys."

"Ultron was the one who tried to kill everyone, not you guys. Besides, what makes you think the criminals will limit themselves just because we do?"

Rhodes and Stark shared a look of mild surprise...they hadn't thought of that.

Peter stopped for a second to take a deep breath. "I understand what you're trying to say. We need to do better in minimizing collateral damage and civilian casualties. I get it but I just don't think surrendering ourselves to the government is the best way to do that."

Captain America was silently impressed at how much thought Peter put into his arguments. Before he could say anything on it though, his phone suddenly buzzed to notify him of an incoming text.

He read what was on it...and immediately got up from his seat.

"I have to go." Steve said before he left.

Everyone watched him leave in silence. Tony decided it was time to take a break from this conversation. Everyone was still gathering their own thoughts about the Accords and it would be best to discuss this after they all had taken some time to relax.

"Alright. We'll table this discussion for now. No point in talking about the Accords when everyone's so high strung about it. I'll be in my lab."

The billionaire left in a hurry and with his departure, the others decided to disperse too. Natasha left with Peter and Wanda for the dining room. Vision was the only one who stayed seated where he was...doing his best to weigh both sides of the argument regarding the Sokovia Accords.

...

"...You're going to sign, aren't you?"

Black Widow knew Spider-Man's question was directed at her and she looked at him in the eyes as she quietly nodded. While his face didn't show it, she could tell he wasn't expecting her to agree with the Accords.

"How did you know?"

Peter shrugged. "I might've overheard you agreeing with Tony when you guys were talking about it earlier. It surprised me a little too...you guys aren't usually on the same page."

Natasha chuckled as she leaned forward in her seat. "Yeah. I doubt it'll happen again though. What about you? What do you think of all this?"

The young Sokovian woman didn't answer right away. She was wondering about whether or not she should sign the Accords too. Stark and Rhodes were already planning on doing so as was Natasha. Vision was going to sign too...which left Peter and herself as the only ones who haven't made a decision yet.

"Wanda?"

"Hmm?" Hearing Natasha call her name brought her mind back to the present. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something."

Black Widow already knew what was troubling her. "Looks like the Accords are getting to you too, huh?"

She nodded. "I still don't know what to do. I can understand the need to win back the trust of the public but at the same time, I feel like there's something wrong with the Accords."

"...You guys realize if you don't sign, you'll be considered criminals once the Accords are made official." Natasha reminded with reluctance.

Peter was well aware of this. "I know but I'm not sure it's a good idea. I don't trust those idiot politicians to know what the right thing to do is. Chances are they'll probably use the Avengers to further their own ambitions."

Black Widow couldn't argue with that. Her experiences as a spy have taught her that every politician out there always used their political powers for personal gain in some capacity, whether it be gaining more wealth or promoting their standing in society.

"We'll make sure that doesn't happen. I know this isn't the best way forward but if we don't sign this now, the government will just throw something worse at us in the future."

Peter sighed as he covered his face with his hands. He didn't know what to think. His every instinct was telling him not to sign the Accords but at the same time, he couldn't give up on being Spider-Man.

Wanda placed her hand on Peter's shoulder and gently squeezed. She was just as confused as he was on what to do about this whole situation.

"...Let's set this aside for later." Natasha said, suddenly feeling a little tired. "We still have three days before the Accords are ratified in Vienna. Just take your time and think it over carefully."

Wanda and Peter nodded. The least they could do was consider the idea of signing.

"...I think we could all use some cheering up." Spidey left his seat and made his way to the kitchen. "It's time I kept one of the promises I made."

The Scarlet Witch watched Peter curiously. "What are you doing?"

Peter grabbed a small bag of sugar and flour from one of the drawers. "Baking you guys that lemon meringue pie I promised. Hang tight, it won't take too long."

Natasha and Wanda looked at each other and nodded before they left their seats to join him in the kitchen.

"We'll help you." Black Widow said, washing her hands in the sink. "Just tell us what to do."

The Scarlet Witch already knew some of the ingredients that were needed and she moved to find them in the other cupboards.

Peter smiled before he gave them both instructions on what needed to prepped to bake the dessert. The tense and depressing mood that was felt earlier when they were discussing the Accords was soon replaced by a more lively and pleasant feeling as they talked and joked with each other while cooking.

...

Thor came back just as he took the freshly baked pie out of the oven. The sweet scent of the dessert wafted under his nose and the God of thunder immediately came over to take a better look at it.

"What is this, Man of Spiders?" Thor asked, almost drooling. "It smells amazing."

Peter removed his apron and threw it into a nearby hamper. "That's a lemon meringue pie. It's one of the many dessert dishes we have on Earth."

Wanda and Natasha had already put away the ingredients they used back where they belonged. They were now chatting amongst themselves on the couch while Peter finished cleaning up the kitchen.

"It look delectable. May I try some?"

"Sure. We need to let it cool for a few minutes first. If you try to eat it now, you'll end up burning the roof of your mouth."

"A wise precaution." Thor said, setting the disguised Mjolnir beside his chair. "I shall wait until you say it is ready then."

Spidey washed his hands before he quickly joined him at the table. "So what were you doing in Asgard, Thor? You were gone for a long time."

"I went to check on how things have been in my absence. I am happy to say Asgard is doing well for the most part...although I have heard troubling rumours about the other realms."

"What rumours?"

The God of thunder brought his hands together beneath his chin. "Stories of chaos and civil unrest are being talked about amongst my people. It is odd because my father Odin has always done his best to maintain order in all nine realms...but lately he seems rather reluctant in performing his duties as King. I intend to investigate this myself."

"...I take it that means you won't be coming here for a while, huh?" Peter asked.

"I'm afraid so." Thor said before he smiled. "But worry not. I have something in mind that might not separate us from each other's company."

The young Spider wondered what he meant by that as Black Widow and the Scarlet Witch approached the table. Wanda waved hello at the God of thunder while Natasha greeted him with a small smile.

"Welcome back, Thor." She said before turning to Peter. "Is the pie ready?"

He nodded and moved to bring the lemon meringue pie over. Grabbing a small butter knife, Peter cut the pie into even slices before he placed one on each of their plates. Natasha and Wanda took their first bites...and smiled at the tangy sweet flavour that met their tongues.

"This tastes wondrous, young Parker!" Thor exclaimed while devouring his slice. "You are truly skilled in the culinary arts."

"I'm glad you like it but I didn't make it myself this time. Nat and Wanda helped as well."

"We did. It was a lot of fun too." The young Sokovian woman said, grinning as she ate the last of her slice of pie. "We should cook together more often."

Natasha had no problems with that. "I wouldn't mind. It certainly helped to get rid of the depressing feeling from earlier."

Peter smiled in agreement before he remembered something. "Hey, Thor. What did you mean when you said you have something in mind that wouldn't separate us?"

"Well, it's only a thought at the moment...but do you still have the Asgardian warrior clothes I gave you?"

...

 **\- Yeah, this one had some politics involved in it. Given the nature of the Accords, it made sense to add a bit of the government's viewpoints. I'm not really a fan of politics though so I kept the arguments made by some of the characters simple and straight to the point.**

 **\- We're only a week away from the Captain Marvel film and Avengers: Endgame comes out in another month. I'm really looking forward to seeing those movies. See you all next time.**


	21. Chapter 21

\- **I saw the Captain Marvel film and I thought it was okay. It was a good movie at least to me and I don't understand all the hate Brie Larson is getting. She played the character pretty well.**

 **\- Still haven't got a new laptop yet so I'm still not able to write as much as I'd prefer. That doesn't mean this story won't be finished but as I said before, the updates will be slow.**

 **Enjoy.**

...

"Yeah, I still have it. Why?"

"Because it will be best for you to don it when you come visit Asgard."

Peter wasn't sure he heard right. "You want me to come to Asgard?"

"Yes. The rest of you are welcome to join as well."

The young Spider looked to Black Widow and the Scarlet Witch, who were also caught off guard by the unexpected invitation. Natasha's facial expression was much more subdued but he could tell she was surprised from the slight widening of her eyes.

"Are you sure that's okay? Last I heard, your father doesn't like the idea of humans coming to Asgard very much." Black Widow said, feeling a little skeptical.

Jane had told them about her first venture into Asgard a few years ago. Apparently, Odin looked down on her just because she was human and believed her to be unworthy of being Thor's girlfriend back when they were dating.

Thor sighed. "He does not. Like Loki, he considers our people to be superior to humans. With how he's been acting lately though, I very much doubt he'll notice your presence in Asgard."

Peter always wondered what it'd be like to see Asgard and he was very tempted to say yes. But if Odin did have problems with humans, he didn't want to inconvenience Thor in any way.

"I don't know. I really don't want to cause any problems between you and your father."

"Don't worry, your presence there will not disturb anything. Asgard is in a time of peace right now and it's beauty is beyond compare. Now is the perfect opportunity to show my home to my friends."

"...Do I have to give you an answer right now?" Peter felt like this was something he should take his time to think over.

Thor shook his head. "Of course not. Take all the time you need to consider my offer."

Peter smiled in thanks before he met Wanda's and Natasha's eyes. They all had a lot to think about for the next few days. It was likely sleep wouldn't come to them easily either with so much on their minds.

...

 _The next morning..._

Spidey yawned as he cooked up the last of the chocolate chip pancakes. He came home late last night but sleep eluded him for a long time. The whole situation with the Accords occupied his thoughts for a few hours. Thor's invitation for him to come to Asgard had also been on his mind for a while.

Needless to say, Peter didn't get much sleep but he did manage to doze off for a couple of hours. It was early in the morning when he awoke and he decided to make some breakfast for May.

It was also the perfect opportunity to make good on his promise to Jessica. After making a huge stack of chocolate chip pancakes for himself and May, Peter cooked about two dozen more for the private detective. Her appetite almost rivaled his after a night of non-stop drinking and making the usual dozen wasn't close to enough to sate her hunger. Putting the extra pancakes into a plastic container, he covered the tupperware with an insulated bag so it wouldn't cool off too quickly. Peter changed into his suit and left a note saying he'd be home later for Aunt May before he leapt out of the window.

Jessica's office was located in a rougher area of New York and while Peter had no problems with the place, the bad smells of the littered streets there did annoy him a little. It wasn't a very long trip but he always loved traveling by his webs. The exciting rush and freeing sensation helped to get rid of the weight on his shoulders whenever things got a bit stressful.

Landing on the side of a building, Spidey opened the window to Jessica's office and snuck in. The private detective was where she always was at this time of day...sleeping away at her desk after a long night of drinking. While he didn't exactly support Jessica's destructive alcoholic behaviour, Peter was aware of the traumatic events in her life that led her to such a path. Most people would've just told her off for being such a drunk but he knew that was the last thing his friend wanted to hear.

Instead, Peter did his best to make sure her drinking was kept to an acceptable minimum. It wasn't easy at first but after a long period of time, the amount of alcohol she consumed did lessen. Not by much of course but he and Trish considered every small step to be progress.

Peter filled a cup with water from the cooler before he gently nudged her shoulder. "Jessica? Wake up."

It took a moment but she slowly opened her eyes...and clutched her head as the effects of her hangover began to set in immediately.

"Ow, my head." She groaned. "What time is it?"

"Eight in the morning. Here." He handed her the glass of water.

Jessica mumbled a thanks before she drank all of the water in one gulp. Near the end though, she choked on a tiny bit of water by accident and violently coughed it out.

Peter patted her back. "Easy, it's better to drink the water at a slow and steady pace."

"Yeah, yeah. My throat was dry as hell though. So what brings you here?"

"I brought some of those chocolate chip pancakes that you liked." He said, pulling out the container. "They're still warm and fresh, just like I promised."

A small smile graced the private detective's lips as she opened the plastic box. The sweet scent of the pancakes nearly made her drool. She's been looking forward to having these again for a long time now.

Peter looked around the room. "Where's Trish?"

"Went out to buy breakfast. We didn't know you were coming by today."

"Guess I should've called ahead." He said, chuckling sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Jessica waved off the apology. "You're always welcome here."

She was about to take her first bite but her fork stopped midway when her head started to hurt again. Her hangover still wasn't completely gone yet.

"Goddamn it!" She cursed, laying her head back down on the table.

Peter frowned before he moved to the small kitchen in her office.

Jessica looked up from her desk. "What are you doing?"

He poured some water into a kettle and set it on the stove to boil it. "Making some ginger tea. It'll help soothe your headache."

She nodded, wanting nothing more than to eat the pancakes Peter made for her without any trouble. It didn't take long for him to make the tea and once the flavour was properly mixed in with the water, he set the hot drink down in front of Jessica.

"Drink it slowly this time. I wouldn't want you to burn your tongue." He jokingly advised.

Jessica rolled her eyes with a smirk before she took a small sip of the tea. The strong taste of the ginger drove away the last of the sleepiness that was still lingering and after a moment, she could feel the pain of her headache lessen a little.

"Oh wow, this stuff really does work. Thanks again, webhead."

"No problem."

"So I take it you're all healed up?" She asked, finally taking a bite of her pancakes.

Peter nodded. "Yep. I just got cleared to leave the infirmary yesterday. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Things are quiet lately so it's been a little boring around here. I kinda miss beating up the bad guys."

"Well, this is a pretty rough part of the city. I'm sure you'll get to kick some ass again soon. No new cases?"

Jessica shook her head as she eagerly devoured another pancake. "No, I haven't had any new clients for a while. I heard Matt might have some work for me though."

"That's good." He said before the front door opened. Trish walked in from the other side. In the radio host's hand was a Starbucks takeout bag filled with coffee and some breakfast sandwiches.

"Sorry I'm late. There was a huge lin-Peter!"

Spidey gave a friendly wave. "Hi, Trish, It's been a long time."

Trish put down the bag before she gave Peter a big hug. "I've missed you, kiddo. How are you?"

"I'm doing good. I've been a little busy working with the Avengers."

"...We heard about what happened to you in Lagos." She said, checking him over with concerned eyes. "Are you okay?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, I spent the last week recovering from my injuries. Dr. Cho gave me the clearance to leave the infirmary yesterday."

"I'm glad to see you're alright then. Would you like to stay and have breakfast? I bought some sandwiches for Jessica and myself but it looks like she's already begun to eat."

The private detective had already eaten the first dozen of the chocolate chip pancakes. It didn't seem like she was planning on leaving it unfinished though.

Her best friend eyed the pancakes with a hungry look on her face. "Man, those look really good. Save some for me please."

"No promises." Jessica muttered before she quickly ate another one.

Peter laughed a little. "Sure. I can't stay for too long though. I have to get back to my Aunt soon."

"No problem. I hope you like smoked turkey." Trish said, pulling out a sandwich from the bag.

...

After hours of doing nothing but reading the Sokovia Accords in its entirety, Maria finally put down the papers in her hands. The former SHIELD agent turned off some of the monitors around her desk before she rubbed her tired eyes. She wasn't sure what to make of the Accords. On the one hand, making the Avengers a legitimate force under the command of the UN could strengthen public trust in the team. But the problem was that the UN had control over the Avengers...and there was no doubt more than a few politicians would use that authority to further their own personal gain rather than aiding the people.

The Accords hadn't even been made official yet and already it was affecting the team. Stark, Rhodes, and Vision were in favour of government oversight as was Natasha while Steve and Wilson vehemently disagreed with it. Peter and Wanda were the only ones who haven't decided yet but based on what Romanoff told her, it didn't seem like Spider-Man wasn't going to sign either.

Maria stood up and stretched for a moment before she left her office. All the work she did earlier was starting to get to her and now seemed like a good time to take a break. Walking into the lounge, Hill poured herself some tea and made herself comfortable on the couch.

"I could use a vacation..." She mumbled, taking a quick sip.

"Long day?"

Maria turned around and smiled in greeting when she saw Peter walk into the room. He wore his suit without the mask, which was being held in his hand.

"No but I've been looking over the Accords for the last few hours...after a while, it just felt like I was reading a giant wall of text."

Peter nodded as he set his backpack down. "I know the feeling. When I read it yesterday, I kept wondering why they didn't just tell us outright about the main point of the Accords rather than hide it behind misleading words. May just said she wasn't surprised and that it was typical political bullshit."

"You told her about the Accords?" She asked.

"I did...and May wasn't sure what to think. She says it sounds like a good idea on paper but there was something about the Accords that gave her a bad feeling."

"That's funny. She feels the same way I do about this whole mess."

"So does Wanda." He said, placing his hands beneath his chin. "...I'm still not sure about what to do though."

"There's no need to rush. You still have two more days to think it over." Maria placed her hand on Peter's shoulder and gently squeezed. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you as best as I can."

Peter smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Ms. Hi-I mean Maria."

"Seems like you're still not used to calling me by my first name, huh?" She asked with an amused look on her face.

"No. It's just hard for me to stop from being polite to those I respect so much sometimes."

"You're not being rude by using my first name if I let you. I've never believed in any formalities between friends."

"I know and I promise to get better at this." He said, giving a playful salute.

Maria chuckled. "I know you will, Peter."

Her expression turned thoughtful for a moment as she stared into his eyes. While it was strange to admit that she'd fallen for someone younger than her, Hill didn't regret it one bit. At her core, she was a cold pessimist who had a cynical view of the world but he always brought out the better parts of her personality everytime they interacted. Peter's innocent nature and adorable looks had won her heart for a long time now.

Her unblinking gaze was starting to make the young Spider a little nervous and it only made him wonder if something was wrong when her face slowly leaned in closer to his.

"Um, is everything okay?"

She smiled. "Everything's fine. You should get more used to calling me by my first name soon though..."

"Why is that?"

Maria answered by capturing Peter's mouth with her own for a gentle kiss. His eyes widened in surprise as it took a moment for him to make sense of what was happening. Maria Hill, the badass SHIELD agent, was actually kissing him.

"Because I don't want the man I love to be so formal with me." She whispered, pulling back.

Peter just looked dumbfounded and understandably so. First it was Wanda and Natasha...and now Maria who professed their feelings for him. He was just a simple science geek with spider powers that was recently out of high school. How could any woman ever find that attractive?

"...I don't get it."

"What do you mean?"

"How could you or Natasha or Wanda be in love with me? I'm nothing more than a boring nerdy guy from Queens. You all deserve better than m-"

Maria swiftly slapped Peter across the face, interrupting him mid sentence.

"Never say that again." She said with a stern look. "I understand. The fact that the three of us love you might be a little overwhelming...but that doesn't mean you get to belittle yourself like this. You're a good man, Peter and nothing about you is worthless. I know you can't see that fact for yourself so we're gonna keep telling you that until it sticks in your head."

Her eyes then softened as she caressed the part of his face that she slapped. "Everything about you is what we love, Peter. So don't ever doubt yourself again, okay?"

The young Spider slowly nodded. "Okay...but are you sure about this? I'm already with Wanda and Natasha."

"I am." Hill whispered before she kissed Peter again. "I want to make this work...if you'll have me."

Peter reached for her hands and held them gently with a small smile. "I do. I still don't know why but you guys will probably scold me if I even try to think about it."

The two laughed at that before they relaxed against each other on the couch. Maria was a little taller than Peter so when they leaned on one another, the side of his head touched where her cheek was. That didn't really bother him though as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the quiet moment with her.

...

 **\- I know. When it comes to writing about unique relationships like this, I'm not the best. It's my first time attempting such an idea and I'm trying to keep it in a realistic fashion...or as close as it can get to that. Forgive me if it's not that great.**

 **\- I hope you all liked it. See you next time.**


	22. Chapter 22

**\- So a bit of a warning in advance...this chapter does have some mature parts in it. Not a full blown lemon per se because I c** **ould never write one of those but just enough details to let everyone understand what's happening.**

 **...**

" _Natasha_ _could feel the prick of the needle as it injected something down her neck. No matter how much she protested, the instructor behind her didn't stop as she prepared another needle and proceeded to push it against her flesh once again…"_

Black Widow's eyes shot open as she quickly sat up in her bed. Wiping away some sweat from her forehead, she took a moment to steady her breathing. It was around that time again...when her mind was plagued by nightmares that were based on her memories of the Red Room. They usually occurred at least twice a month and this marked the second time for this week.

Though she had long put those experiences behind her, it was still troubling to recall sometimes. Waking up from those nightmares always rendered her unable to fall back asleep. None of the team knew about this though...there was no point in telling them about something so trivial.

Natasha counted herself lucky compared to some of the others. Tony was probably the worst when it came to dealing with nightmares. Sometimes he'd avoid going to sleep for a whole week before Pepper or Rhodes finally forced him to get some rest. Even then, he wouldn't go to bed unless there was at least one suit of armour with him in the room. Steve suffered from them too and there were times when Sam or Vision had to hold him down until he woke up because he was thrashing about violently in his bed.

Tonight didn't seem to be any different for her as she was unable to go back to sleep again. It annoyed her a little...because she was flying to London tomorrow to check on Steve. Jet lag didn't really bother her much but it still would've been nice to get at least a few hours of rest.

Getting up from her bed, Natasha left her room and headed for the break area. On nights like these, she always passed the time by reading a good book or watched tv. No one else was usually here at this time so it was a bit of a surprise for her when she saw the lights on. Wondering who else was awake, Natasha walked in to see who it was.

It turned out to be none other than Peter, who was sitting by the table. He seemed to be thinking about something as his eyes stared at the cup of tea in his hands.

"Peter? _"_ She called out, making him snap out of his thoughts and he turned to face her. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He said.

Natasha smirked as she sat down beside him. "Touché. I didn't know you were spending the night here. I thought you went home after dinner."

"I was but May called and said it was okay for me to stay here for tonight. She had to work late again."

"I see. So what are you doing still up?"

Peter drank the last of his tea. "I couldn't fall asleep. My mind was too busy thinking about some stuff. I didn't want to wake up Wanda and disturb her sleep so I came here instead."

"...You want to talk about it?" She asked.

"It's nothing serious but Maria really surprised me."

"Oh? How so?"

Peter's face blushed as he remembered what happened earlier today. "She...uh...kissed me right after she said she loved me."

Black Widow's eyes widened a bit. Hill actually confessed her feelings for Peter? She knew her friend was already planning to do so but she never expected her to do it so soon. It would explain why she seemed to be in such a good mood during dinner.

"Really? When did this happen?"

"Just a few minutes after I arrived at the compound at around noon." Peter muttered. "Maria said she didn't have any problems being with me even though I was already dating you and Wanda."

Natasha placed her hand on his shoulder with a smile. "Well, I have no issues with it and I don't think Wanda will either. Maria's been in love with you for a long time."

"Wait...you already knew?"

"She told me the day before we left for our mission in Lagos." Black Widow explained. "The reason Maria didn't tell you then was because she didn't want you to lose focus during the mission."

The young Spider couldn't argue with that. Had she told him then, he probably wouldn't have been able to stop thinking about it.

"I guess that was a smart move."

Natasha nodded before she got up and pulled out a bag of hot chocolate mix from a secret drawer. This particular brand was made in Switzerland and it was in her opinion the best she's ever tasted. Other than her little Spider and Wanda or Maria on occasion, Natasha never shared it with anyone else.

It was one of the few luxuries the Black Widow indulged herself in and she was quite protective about keeping this little fact a secret from the others.

Natasha looked to Peter. "Would you like some?"

"Uh, sure. Thanks."

She quickly made a cup of hot chocolate for him as well. The young Spider just watched her and it was only now that he realized Natasha wasn't wearing much. She was dressed in only a simple tank top and shorts...which was odd considering how cold it was today. It didn't seem like she was bothered by the low temperatures though.

Her clothing didn't do much to hide her beautiful figure. From her well toned legs to the smoothness of her pale skin, Peter couldn't help but blush as he admired every part of Natasha. Her breasts seemed to be straining against the fabric of her tank top and he was certain his face resembled a tomato when his eyes caught on to how they bounced a little everytime she took a step.

Natasha wondered why Peter was blushing so much as she returned to her seat with two mugs of hot chocolate in her hands. Following his line of sight, a small grin graced her lips when she realized he was checking her out. She forgot about her current state of dress and while it wasn't exactly scandalous, it seemed to be very eye-catching...if her boyfriend's reaction was any indication.

"See something you like?" She asked teasingly.

Peter grew flustered as he tried to explain himself. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Natasha chuckled, putting the mugs of hot chocolate down on the table. "It's okay, Peter. I'm glad my looks mesmerize you so much. It'd be a blow to my confidence if I wasn't able to impress you."

Peter sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I'm always amazed with you, Tasha. I don't think that'll ever stop."

She smiled warmly at that and raised her cup for a toast. He clinked his cup with hers before they both took a sip.

"This is really good. Thanks again for making me a cup."

"You're welcome."

It was silent for a few minutes as they sat together, enjoying each other's company while drinking the delicious hot beverage she made. The stress induced from her nightmare earlier slowly disappeared and Natasha's heart didn't feel so heavy anymore.

"So..." The young Spider said, breaking the silence. "May I ask why you're still awake?"

Black Widow set her cup down and looked into Peter's eyes with a hint of weariness in her own.

"Sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." Natasha reassured, putting her hand on top of Peter's. "I'm just not used to talking about it...I had a nightmare. A rather vivid one."

"...What was it about?"

The question was asked with much hesitation and she didn't answer at first. Whether she would or not, Peter didn't know but he waited patiently for whatever her response may be.

After a moment passed, Natasha finally spoke. "...They were about my training in the Red Room when I was younger. It doesn't bother me anymore but I get nightmares about my memories there every once in a while."

Peter intertwined his fingers with hers and held on with a firm but gentle grip. He didn't know the specifics of what had happened to Natasha but she once mentioned that she wouldn't wish for anyone to go through what she did in the Red Room. That was enough for him to realize her experiences there were...less than pleasant to say the least.

"I get it." He said quietly. "Sometimes I have nightmares about my Uncle Ben's murder too...going back to sleep after having one of those is pretty much impossible."

Black Widow gave Peter's hand a comforting squeeze. "Having to live with such memories isn't easy. I believe it makes us all the more stronger when we learn to accept what's happened and move on."

Spidey thought about her words and agreed with a nod. Maybe it was wishful thinking on his part but he'd like to believe Ben was proud of him and May for continuing to live their lives as best as they could despite his notable absence.

Natasha leaned forward and lovingly pressed her lips against Peter's. Peter kissed Natasha back as he held her close. Closing her eyes, she placed her hands on his chest to deepen the kiss. His hands slowly roamed up and down her spine, making her shiver out of delight at his touch. Her tongue pushed against his teeth, surprising him for a second before he happily gave her access. Natasha tasted every part of Peter's mouth before their tongues wrestled with each other.

Peter couldn't help but let out a muffled groan...everything she was doing right now felt incredible. When the need to breathe caught up to them, their mouths reluctantly parted but Natasha quickly began to peck small kisses down the side of Peter's neck.

"Nat..." He grunted, holding her close.

She sat down on his lap and grinded herself against Peter's groin, which was getting harder by the second.

"Getting excited?" Black Widow whispered with a lustful voice. "Good...because I want you now, Peter."

While every part of his body and mind was telling him to take her already, his heart still felt a bit reluctant.

She noticed his hesitation. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just...I've never had sex before. This is my first time." He nervously admitted.

"Is that right?" Natasha smirked as she leaned in closer to his ear. "I'm honored to be your first then, Peter. We've got all night so we'll take things slow."

She locked lips with Peter once again and wrapped her legs around his waist as he stood up. Carrying Natasha in his arms, they somehow managed to make it back without bumping into any walls. The young Spider was able to kick the door closed before they fell backwards onto her bed. Straddling Peter's hips, Natasha gave a seductive smile as she pulled off her tank top.

Her breasts freed and out in the open, the cold air made her nipples grow a little stiff. Peter took a moment to admire how perfectly shaped they were before he began to fondle them. Natasha moaned out of pleasure as Peter's hands squeezed her breasts and her moans only grew louder when he began to lick her nipples.

Natasha quickly kissed Peter again as she pulled him with her to their feet. Her hands moved down to the sides of pants and swiftly pulled them down.

Peter's dick stood erected at it's full length of ten inches and she couldn't help but marvel at the size of it. Calling Peter her 'Little Spider' suddenly didn't feel right anymore...not when he was this well endowed.

"How do you hide this in your suit?" Natasha asked with intrigue. Her hand held Peter's dick and slowly stroked it.

"I made the crotch area of my suit a little roomier." He said, groaning at how good her massage felt. "Otherwise, it would've looked like I have a non-stop hard on every time I wore my Spider-Man suit."

Black Widow giggled before she turned around and bent over sensually to remove her shorts and panties, giving Peter a grand view of her firm ass. Her pussy was soaked and fully aroused. He quickly took off his shirt and threw it to the side. Natasha licked her lips at the sight of Peter's muscular body as she hugged him close, pressing her breasts against his chest.

"I love you, Peter." she whispered, wrapping her legs around his waist. "...You ready?"

Peter swiftly captured Natasha's lips for another passionate kiss before they fell backwards onto her bed.

...

Black Widow woke up early the next morning, feeling sore yet refreshed at the same time. She smiled upon seeing Peter fast asleep beside her. For his first time in having sex, Peter's performance last night was amazing. It didn't take him long to learn how to pleasure her in the most effective ways with not only his dick but also his tongue and hands. Being the first woman Peter made love with gave her a sense of happiness and she couldn't wait to get intimate with him again soon.

She'd do it with Peter again now but her legs still felt numb and she wanted to be able to walk straight today.

Glancing at the clock, there was still a couple of hours before she had to catch her flight to London. It was more than enough time for her to get ready. Natasha turned back to look at Peter, who mumbled something in his sleep. It was rather adorable and she couldn't help but chuckle as her fingers ran through his soft hair.

"Hmm..." The young Spider slowly woke up and blinked his eyes a few times. "Hi, Natasha."

"Good morning, _Моя_ _любовь_. How are you feeling?"

"Really good. You?"

Natasha moved herself on top of Peter. "I've never felt better...Maria and Wanda are in for a real treat when they finally sleep with you."

He wrapped his arms around her. "You think so?"

"I'm certain of it." Natasha said before she pulled Peter into a deep passionate kiss. Peter kissed Natasha back, making her moan as his tongue began to wrestle with hers. Their make out session grew more intense until...

"Please tell me you two aren't going to have sex again right now."

Peter and Natasha broke their kiss and they turned to see a tired looking Wanda standing with her arms folded at her door. She was staring at them with mild annoyance in her eyes.

"Wanda? How long have you been standing there?" She asked, covering herself with the blankets.

The young Sokovian woman stepped into the room and kicked the door closed behind her. "Since you and Peter started making out with each other. I knocked on the door but none of you heard me."

Peter noticed how tired she looked and he couldn't help but feel a little concerned. "Did you not sleep last night? I remember you were still snoozing when I got up to clear my head."

"I was but I woke up a few minutes later when I realized you weren't there beside me. I thought you might've gone to the bathroom or something so I tried to go back to bed...but that wasn't possible."

"Why?"

Wanda sat down on their bed and glared at them both. "Because I soon heard you two fucking each other senseless last night. Natasha didn't stop moaning your name for hours, Peter. Apparently the walls are thin here and my room is right next door."

"Oh..." The young Spider averted her gaze, blushing heavily out of embarrassment. Natasha had a look of awkward guilt on her face. "Sorry, Wanda."

The Scarlet Witch just continued to glare at them for a few more seconds before she sighed. "It's fine. Just try to keep it down next time."

Both of them nodded before Natasha got up from the bed. She was completely naked, making Wanda blush as she laid eyes on her gorgeous figure. Peter had already seen and touched every inch of Natasha's body last night but he couldn't help but blush a bit too. Her legs stumbled a little as she moved to her closet and grabbed some clean clothes.

"I'm going to take a shower first. I'll meet you two outside for breakfast, okay?"

The two youngest Avengers nodded. Natasha gave Peter another quick kiss before she went to the bathroom, leaving them alone on her bed.

"Uh, could you pass me my pants?" The young Spider pointed to the floor on the right side of the bed. "They're right over there."

Wanda walked to where he was pointing and picked up a pair of sweats from the carpet. She handed them to Peter, who thanked her before he put them on beneath the blankets. The Scarlet Witch just watched him get dressed in silence with a thoughtful look on her face.

"You okay?" Spidey asked, getting up from the bed. "Sorry for disturbing your sleep last night. We didn't realize we were that loud."

Wanda let out a small laugh as she hugged Peter. "It's alright. I'm not mad about that...I'm a little disappointed though."

"About what?"

"That I wasn't there to join you and Natasha last night." She murmured, laying her head on Peter's chiseled chest. "...I want my first time to be with you and I had hoped your first time would be with me."

Peter held her close. "I'm sorry, Wanda. I didn't know-"

The young Sokovian woman looked up and placed a finger against his lips. "Shh, it's okay. I should've just joined you and Natasha last night but I didn't want to disturb you two. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"When you and I make love for the first time, don't hold back on anything...because I won't either."

The serious look in her eyes immediately told the young Spider it'd be unwise to say no...not that he was going to anyways. He wasn't stupid.

"I promise." Peter whispered.

Wanda smiled before she gave Peter a loving kiss. Peter caressed her face as he returned the kiss, determined to keep his promise for when they were both ready.

...

"So have you talked to your Aunt yet?"

Peter looked up from the book he and Wanda were reading together at Natasha, who was sipping away on some coffee in the couch across from them. Hill sat next to her and was eating the last of her breakfast. He and Wanda finished eating first and they had spent the last half an hour reading one of her novels together.

"About what?"

"Thor's invitation for you to come to Asgard." Natasha explained. "Did you tell her yet?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, I did. May was surprised at first but she said it was alright for me to go."

Maria raised her eyebrows. "Really? I didn't think she would be okay with it. Asgard isn't exactly close by."

"Well, she did seem reluctant at first but May explained as long as I wasn't gone for too long, she had no problems with it. Are you going?"

"I wish but I still have a lot of work to do here." Natasha grumbled with a small frown. "Maybe next time."

Peter was a little disappointed to hear that but he understood her reasons. "I think I'll go. I've always wondered about Asgard and what it's like there."

"If you're going, then so am I." Wanda said. "It'd be like our first vacation together."

Peter looked at her with a smile and pecked a kiss on her forehead. The young Sokovian woman blushed a bit as she enjoyed the feeling of his lips pressing on her skin. Maria and Natasha just smirked at the adorable sight. They were a little envious too but neither of them could deny how cute Peter and Wanda looked together.

"I wonder if Thor's invitation extends to me as well." Hill muttered. "Because if it does, maybe I'll go too."

Natasha looked a little surprised, as did the two youngest Avengers. "What about your duties here?"

"I can take a few days off." She replied with a shrug. "Besides, someone has to watch over these two."

Wanda and Peter rolled their eyes at that, making Maria chuckle.

"I don't think Thor will mind if you come with us." The young Spider said before he turned to the Black Widow. "I wish you could go with us too. It would've been a lot of fun."

"I know but we'll go together next time." Natasha reassured, giving a sweet smile. "Just be careful when you're there."

Peter smiled back as their eyes gazed into each other's for a moment. Maria couldn't help but feel like something was different about them. They seemed closer than before...if that was even possible.

"You two seem really happy." She pointed out. "Did something good happen yesterday?"

Wanda covered her face behind her hands to hide the awkward blush on her cheeks. The sounds of Natasha and Peter making love to each other last night was still vivid in her ears.

"I guess you could say that." Natasha said with a coy grin. "...Peter and I spent some time together last night."

Hill was confused at first but then she noticed how there was a hint of desire in Natasha's eyes as she gazed at Peter. Another second passed before it finally dawned on her.

"...No way." She muttered, her jaw nearly dropping to the ground. "You and Peter slept together?"

Black Widow simply nodded. "Yep."

"It's true." The young Sokovian woman muttered, still blushing heavily. Peter just held her close with an apologetic look on his face. "...I heard them going at it for hours last night. It's why I couldn't fall asleep."

"Wow...so how was it?"

Natasha smiled as she happily remembered all the things Peter did to her last night. "It was amazing. Peter's an incredible lover and I have a feeling he's only going to get better."

Maria looked at Peter with an excited smirk. "Is that right? That's good to hear."

It was his turn to blush a bright red this time as he avoided her eyes by staring at the ground. The young Sokovian woman took pity on her boyfriend and held his hand to comfort him. Natasha just chuckled at Peter's adorable behavior before her phone suddenly notified her of an incoming text. The plane was ready to take her to London.

She got up from her seat. "My plane's ready. I have to leave now."

Black Widow gave Maria and Wanda a hug goodbye and playfully whispered for them to have fun with Peter before she let go. She wrapped her arm around Peter's as he decided to accompany her to her car. The two Spiders walked together to the front of the compound, where an expensive looking black corvette was waiting.

"Have a safe flight." Peter said, holding Natasha's hands. "Tell Captain America I said hi."

She nodded. "Be careful when you're up in Asgard. Thor may be our friend but that doesn't mean the other Asgardians are too."

"I will."

Natasha smiled before she pressed her lips against Peter's for a deep loving kiss. Peter placed his hands on her hips as he returned the kiss in kind. He could feel her tongue reaching down his throat...it almost felt like she was trying to suck the breath out of him. Their lips stayed locked together for as long as possible before the need for air eventually forced them to part.

"Stay safe." Natasha whispered, giving Peter one last quick kiss before she got into the corvette.

As Black Widow drove off, she felt like there was something important she forgot about but exactly what was something that still eluded her for the moment. Looking into the rearview mirror, she could see Peter waving at her. Natasha opened her window and waved back...not knowing she wouldn't see him again for a while.

...

 **\- I haven't written such a mature scene in a long time so I hope I did it okay. For those who are wondering,** ** _Моя_ _любовь_** **means my love.**

\- **The next** **update might not be for a while. Now that we're about to delve into the actual AU parts of the story, I'll have to do a bit of research and planning before I can begin the writing. I appreciate your patience, guys. Thank you.**


	23. Chapter 23

**\- I saw Avengers Endgame last night and it was perhaps the best Marvel film I've ever seen. Not going to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it yet but it was both awesome and saddening at the same time. Like Infinity War, I'm probably gonna see it in the theatres again. It's going to be tough to wait for the DVD and Blu-ray release of the movie.**

 **\- This chapter is a little short but given the little time I have these days, it was the best I could do.**

 **I hope you like it. Enjoy.**

 **...**

Wanda snored quietly as she slept on top of Peter. Due to her being unable to sleep last night, the young Sokovian woman was understandably tired and so she decided to take a nap shortly after Natasha departed for London. Maria left to find something out for Fury after the former Director of SHIELD suddenly called her. She still hadn't returned from her office yet so whatever the sudden call was about must've been pretty important.

Something else was on Peter's mind at the moment though...namely the upcoming trip to Asgard. The young Spider hadn't told Thor yet about his accepting the invitation he extended but he was planning to find the God of thunder later. Black Widow's warning about being careful around the other Asgardians was still fresh in his mind and while he'd like to believe Thor's people were as friendly as he was, Peter knew it would be wise to keep his guard up.

The best part about the upcoming trip to Asgard was that he, Wanda, and Maria would be going together. Like the Scarlet Witch said earlier, it would be their first vacation with each other. Hill was the one who deserved the chance to relax the most though...neither he or Wanda have ever seen the hard working woman take a day off in all the time they've been here.

How long they would be in Asgard was still unknown but the duration of their stay was probably only for a few days at the most. Still, some time off was better than no time off.

"Hmm...Peter?" The young Sokovian woman sleepily mumbled, opening one eye.

Spidey looked down and gave her a warm smile. "I'm here. Are you feeling better?"

Wanda nodded as she snuggled herself deeper into Peter's chest. "What time is it?"

"Almost eleven. There's still another hour to go before lunch."

"I'm going to sleep for a little bit more then. Could you wake me when it's time to eat?"

"Of course." Peter pecked a kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well."

"I always do when you're with me." Wanda whispered before she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.

The young Spider held her close and relaxed his head back onto the soft couch. He wondered how Natasha was doing right now. She was probably still on the plane flying to London. Peter knew Natasha was going to Vienna but she was stopping in London first to check on Captain America. None of the Avengers have seen the super soldier much since their little debate regarding the Sokovia Accords. Maybe he was imagining it but there seemed to have been a haunted look in Captain America's eyes when he read the text from his phone that day.

Hopefully, everything was alright with Captain Rogers.

Peter opened his eyes when he heard someone approaching from down the hall. Thor walked into the room with his mouth full and busy chewing away on something. In his hand was a plateful of strawberry and chocolate pop-tarts.

"Hello, Man of Spiders!" He greeted, inadvertently spitting out some crumbs.

"Hey, Thor. You might want to talk a little quieter...Wanda's asleep."

"My apologies. I shall lower my voice."

Peter chuckled. "It's alright. How are you? I haven't seen you around for the last two days."

Thor sat down in a chair across from them and quickly ate another pop-tart. "I am doing well. I have been accompanying Jane and Darcy as they finished their tour of New York city. Our last stop yesterday was at the famous Statue of Liberty."

"I hope you guys had fun."

"Indeed we did. The Statue of Liberty is very impressive. There are no statues of such scale in Asgard but perhaps we should build one in honor of my mother."

"...Frigga, right?" The young Spider asked. "From what you've told me about her, she must've been an incredible person."

"Aye, she was. There was perhaps no kinder soul in Asgard than hers." Thor smiled sadly as he remembered his departed mother. She had died in battle, which was the greatest death any Asgardian could wish for...but he still missed her all the same.

"Maybe I could offer my respects to her grave when we come to visit?"

"You mean..."

Peter nodded. "Wanda and I thought about it and we decided to accept your invitation. That is...if you're still offering."

The God of thunder had a happy look on his face. "Of course! I am glad that you and Lady Wanda have decided to visit my home. I promise you will both have a great time in Asgard."

"Uh, there is one thing I'd like to know."

"What is it?"

"Does your invitation extend to Maria as well? She wants to come along but we weren't sure if she was allowed."

"Lady Hill is welcome to accompany you if she wishes." Thor reassured. "My invitation was meant for all my friends but the others have declined."

The young Spider raised an eyebrow. "Really? Guess I shouldn't be surprised though...thing have been a little hectic around here for the past few days."

"What do you mean?"

"It's kind of a long story...I'll explain it to you later. When do we leave for Asgard?"

"I was planning to return early tomorrow morning. Would that be alright with you?"

"It should be fine. I'll let Wanda and Maria know...although Wanda might not like the fact that she has to get up early."

Thor looked amused. "I take it Lady Wanda is not a morning person."

Peter shook his head. "Not really. She says anyone who willingly wakes up before eight am is crazy."

Both men chuckled lightly...not knowing the Scarlet Witch had woken up a minute ago and overheard the last part.

"Well, it's true." She suddenly said, making them jump a little in their seats. "I just don't understand why anyone would want to cut their sleeping hours short."

The young Spider jokingly clutched his chest in a dramatic manner. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Wanda smirked as she sat upright. "Sorry about that. So I heard we're leaving for Asgard tomorrow morning. Should we bring anything?"

"Just a change of clothes for a few days." The God of thunder suggested. "Everything else will be provided for you. I shall go and prepare for the trip home tomorrow."

Thor gave the two youngest Avengers a nod before he grabbed his plate of pop-tarts and left. The Scarlet Witch made herself comfortable on Peter's lap and laid her head into the crook of his neck.

"Are you still tired? There's half an hour before it's time to eat. You can rest until then."

"No, I'm alright. If I nap anymore now, I might not be able to go to sleep tonight. Are you excited for tomorrow?"

He nodded with a smile. "Yeah...but I'm also a little nervous. You?"

"Pretty much the same but something tells me it'll be quite an adventure." Wanda whispered before she leaned in and kissed Peter.

...

Peter was packing the last of his things into his backpack. Wanda had gone to her room to pack her own stuff. There wasn't much he was bringing except some clothes and an old camera that used to belong to Ben. Thor had given his permission for him to take some pictures for his Aunt May so long as he showed the photos to her and the Avengers only. The Asgardian warrior outfit that the God of thunder gave him was sitting on the table in his quarters. He would change into it tomorrow morning before they departed.

For a while, the young Spider had debated himself on whether or not to bring his suit. It wasn't like the Asgardians knew who he was anyways and his secret identity wouldn't be in any danger. Peter decided to bring it in the end though. A situation could arise where it required him to put the suit on and he'd rather have it and not need it instead of the alternative.

Someone suddenly knocked on the door and Spider-Man set his web-shooters down before he turned around. "C'mon in. The door isn't locked."

Darcy came in from the other side with a friendly smile on her face. "Hey, Peter. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Not at all. I'm just packing for a little trip tomorrow."

"You mean for your trip to Asgard? You guys are lucky...I wish I could go."

"You're welcome to join us if you'd like."

The pretty intern shook her head. "I'd like to but unfortunately, Jane and I have to go back to New Mexico tonight. Maybe next time."

Peter was a little sad to hear that. "Aw, really? Where's Jane now?"

"She's looking over the latest data our sensors have collected. We're pretty confident on discovering a physical Einstein-Rosen bridge soon."

"Well, I have faith you guys will be successful. You've certainly worked hard enough for it."

Darcy smiled. "Thanks, Peter."

"Of course. So what's up? Did you want to talk to me about something?"

Remembering the reason why she came here, Darcy's cheeks grew a twinge of red as she tried to think of the best way to say what was on her mind. The young Spider patiently waited for her on the side...though he couldn't help but feel like something familiar was about to happen.

"I...want to give you something before Jane and I leave." She said, stepping closer to him.

"Oh? What is it?"

Darcy suddenly grabbed his face and kissed Peter hard. Peter froze for a moment as he felt her lips press against his. Now he understood why he felt that sense of deja vu but it didn't make what was happening right now any less surprising. The pretty brunette reluctantly broke the kiss after a long moment and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"W-what?"

Darcy smiled with a bright blush on her face. "I like you, Peter. I like you a lot."

He took a deep breath to steady himself. "I-I'm flattered you feel that way about me but I'm in a...special relationship right now."

"...I know."

"You do? How?"

"Wanda told me about it." She explained. "I thought she was joking at first when she said you're dating her, Natasha, and Maria at the same time."

Spidey gave her a quizzical look. "...And you're not bothered by that?"

"Eh, I've heard of weirder shit than this. It'll take some getting used to but...I still want to be with you."

"Are you certain?"

Darcy gave Peter another quick kiss. "You bet your nice tight ass I am."

Peter was silent for a moment before he let out a sigh and smiled. "Alright. If you're sure, then we'll find a way to make this work."

Darcy almost squealed out of happiness as she hugged Peter. The two interns fell backwards on his bed and looked at each other before they laughed. Peter wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"...We'll have to tell Wanda and the others about this." He said.

"I know." She whispered, closing her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll explain everything to them. Let's just stay like this for a while longer."

Peter didn't have any problems with that and he held her a little closer.

...

 _A few hours later..._

"We're almost there."

Spidey smiled at his girlfriend. "Thanks again for giving me a lift home."

"Anytime, Peter." Maria said before she took a left turn down the road. "Are you nervous for tomorrow?"

"A little bit but I'm mostly excited. How about you?"

She smirked. "I haven't taken a vacation in years so I'm looking forward to it. Not sure what it'll be like in Asgard but I'm sure it's going to be interesting."

The young Spider couldn't argue with that. This would be unlike any trip the two have ever been on...considering Asgard wasn't even anywhere on the planet. He had always wondered what Thor's home was like and now there was a chance to see for himself.

"So...you and Darcy, huh?" Maria asked with a sly look on her face.

Peter blushed a little. "Y-yeah."

Darcy told her and Wanda about her wanting to be with him before she and Jane left. Much to their surprise, they didn't have any problems with it. The young Sokovian woman gave her a hug while Hill simply smiled. Darcy gave Peter her number and told him to call her as soon as he got back from Asgard. Jane had congratulated them both with a hug before she began to tease her intern as Thor took them back to New Mexico.

"Are you okay with it?"

Maria stopped at a red light before she looked at Peter and nodded. "I'm fine with Darcy joining us. I can't blame her for falling in love with you. You're not planning on attracting more women with your charms though, are you?"

"No. I don't even know how this is happening but I'm happy enough being with you all."

She smiled at that as they continued down the road. The apartment where he and his aunt lived was soon in sight and Maria parked the car just across the street from the building. May was probably home already since the lights were on in the living room.

"You're all packed for tomorrow, right?"

The young Spider nodded as he grabbed his bag from the backseat. "Yeah. Thor told us not to bring much except for some clothes for a few days."

"Guess I should pack lightly when I get back. We'll be leaving early in the morning so don't be late."

"Don't worry, I'll be on time."

"Good." Maria lovingly pressed her lips against Peter's. "...I'll see you tomorrow."

Peter gave her a smile before he got out of the blue Mclaren Spider. Hill opened the window as she drove away and waved goodbye. He watched her leave until the car was no longer in view. Putting his backpack on, the young Spider pulled out his key and entered his apartment. Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day and he couldn't wait for the morning to arrive.

...

 **\- The next part will feature the trip to Asgard. It might be a while before the next update but I'll do my best. See you all next time.**


	24. Chapter 24

**\- It won't be for all of them but some of the next few chapters will be a little longer. I don't think the movies have ever shown us in great detail what some of the places in Asgard were except for maybe the palace and the gateway to the nine realms. So I had to make up some of the places Peter and the others will be seeing in the city.**

 **\- Just a heads up, Lady Sif is in this. I thought it was odd to not see her in Ragnarok while the Warriors Three made a brief appearance in the film. I know she's on Earth in the SHIELD tv series but I don't really have time to watch those and get caught up.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

"You haven't forgot anything, right?"

"I don't think so but I'll check my bag once more before I leave."

May nodded. "Good. There's something else I want you to put in your backpack too."

"What's that?"

She pulled out a small first-aid kit from beneath the table and handed it to Peter. He was a little confused but took it nonetheless. The inside of the box was completely stocked with a good supply of bandages, medicinal pills, and disinfectants.

"Thanks, May...but do you think this is really necessary?" He asked.

"Just in case of emergencies." She explained. "Asgard might be a safe place but you never know what may happen up there. I'll feel better knowing you have this with you."

Peter smiled and pecked a kiss on his aunt's face. "I'll be sure to pack it in my bag then. Thank you."

"Of course, sweetheart."

The two finished the rest of their breakfast while enjoying each other's company. May woke up her nephew at around six so he wouldn't be late in meeting the others at the Avengers Compound. Spidey could tell his aunt was still a bit sleepy but she wanted to say goodbye to him first before she went back to bed. Her shift at the hospital was thankfully in the evening and that gave her the whole morning and afternoon to properly rest.

"So...you and Wanda are together." May said with a smirk, catching her nephew off guard. "How long has that been going on?"

Peter quickly swallowed the piece of toast he was chewing on. "F-for a few weeks now. How did you know?"

"I'm not blind, Peter. I've seen the way you two look at each other...plus the way you and her shared the same bed in the Avengers infirmary was a dead giveaway."

"I'm sorry, May...we wanted to tell you sooner."

His aunt shook her head. "It's alright. I'm happy for you and Wanda. You just make sure you treat her right or else I'll kick your butt."

Peter smirked and placed his hand on top of hers. "I will. Thank you."

He really wanted to tell her about the fact that he was also dating Natasha, Maria, and Darcy too but it was a struggle for him to come up with the right way to say it. After a minute or two, the young Spider just gave up and decided to wait for the right moment to tell his aunt.

"You guys haven't had sex yet, right? As much as I'd like grandchildren, you're both too young to be parents."

Peter's face grew a tinge of red out of embarrassment. 'U-uh, no."

May almost cooed at how cute her nephew looked. "I was only joking, Peter."

"May..." He whined.

"God, you are so adorable." She playfully pinched his cheeks. "You should bring Wanda over for dinner again soon."

"That sounds like a good idea. Maybe after we get back from Asgard, I'll invite her over."

"Good." His aunt nodded before she checked the time on the clock. "You should probably go get ready. It's almost seven."

Peter finished the last of his breakfast in a hurry before he went to grab his things. May cleaned the table and put their plates in the sink. She would wash them later after he left. Spidey grabbed his travel bag from his bed and put on his web-shooters. The nanites quickly formed the mask around his face.

 _"Hello, Peter."_ Karen greeted.

"Hey, Karen. It's good to hear your voice. I need you to scan the area around the apartment and make sure no one is around."

 _"Understood. Scanning now."_

The mask dematerialized back into his bracers and Peter stepped back out to the living room with his travel bag in hand. May was waiting by the door with a small brown bag in her hands. She gave it to her nephew, who took it before he checked the bag. Packed inside was some of his favourite snacks. It was admittedly a little embarrassing but he appreciated it nonetheless.

"Have fun in Asgard." May pulled Peter in for a hug. "And be careful up there."

"I will. Don't overwork yourself while I'm gone, okay?"

She kissed Peter's face with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I love you."

"I love you too." Peter gave May one more hug before he exited out the door.

The young Spider made his way to the rooftop and pressed the buttons on his webshooters. The nanites materialized around his body in the form of his suit. His mask once again covered his face and the lenses along with the Spider emblem on his chest glowed a bright blue light.

 _"Welcome back, Peter. My scans are completed. There is no one in the vicinity of your apartment."_

Peter smiled behind the mask. "Thanks, Karen. Ready to go?"

 _"Of course."_

Spidey casually stepped off the ledge and did a flip before he fired a web line. Swinging freely into the air, he quickly fired another and began to make his way to the Avengers compound.

...

Wanda waited with her eyes closed as she stood next to Maria in the field just outside the compound. She thought she would've overslept by accident but Maria thankfully came to wake her up. Thor stood across from them, whistling some unknown tune as he tossed Mjolnir up and down. They were all just waiting for Peter to arrive now.

Hill gently nudged her by the shoulder. "Still tired?"

The Scarlet Witch nodded as she looked at her. Maria was wearing form fitting jeans with a black shirt and leather jacket on top. Like Peter, she wasn't used to seeing the woman without her usual SHIELD uniform or work clothes.

"Yeah but I can handle it. I just hate getting up this early in the morning."

Maria chuckled. "I'm just glad you were able to get out of bed. You usually sleep in for an extra twenty minutes or so."

"There's nothing wrong with getting some extra sleep." Wanda jokingly retorted.

"No arguments here. By the way, I heard from Natasha yesterday."

"How is she?"

"Natasha's fine. She met up with Steve in London. She said he's still grieving but otherwise alright." Hill said. "Right now, she's flying to Vienna."

"What happened to Cap?" Wanda asked.

Maria was silent for a moment before she finally answered. "...He lost an old friend."

The young Sokovian woman didn't say anything more after that and quietly bowed her head in silence out of respect for the departed friend of Captain America's. While they weren't close with each other, she hoped the super soldier would be okay. Thor caught Mjolnir in his hand and was about to throw it in the air again when he spotted someone running out of the compound. A smile graced his face once he recognized the individual to be Peter...wearing the Asgardian warrior's outfit that he had given him.

"Hello, young Parker!" The God of thunder greeted.

Spidey waved, slightly out of breath. "Hey, Thor. I'm not late, am I?"

"Nah, you're right on time." Maria said before she ruffled Peter's hair. "How was your trip here?"

"It was okay. Seeing the sunrise while web-swinging was really cool."

When Wanda stepped forward, he smiled at the sight of her. She was wearing the scarlet long jacket that he made for her.

"I thought this would be the perfect time to wear it." The Scarlet Witch whispered, hugging Peter. "How does it look?"

"It suits you. Red's definitely your colour."

Wanda leaned in and gently kissed Peter. "Thank you for making me this. I love it."

When the young Sokovian woman pulled back, Maria gave Peter a kiss too...much to the intrigue of Thor who was watching. The God of thunder didn't say anything about it though and only smirked at Peter as he tapped his umbrella to the ground. The young Spider knew Thor was going to ask him later about what he just saw. A bolt of lightning struck the umbrella before it turned back into Mjolnir.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked. "Asgard awaits."

The two youngest Avengers and Maria picked up their bags. None of them packed much save for a change of clothes like Thor had suggested...although in Hill's bag, there were a few small firearms and extra magazines stored inside. It's been a couple of years since she's been in the field but old habits died hard. They followed the God of thunder to the middle of the field.

"Heimdall!" Thor called out, raising his hammer above his head.

A burst of multicoloured lights shot down from the sky and enveloped the entire group. Peter grinned as he and the others were pulled towards the clouds, leaving behind a burned rune mark on the grass they had been just standing on.

The surrounding background soon turned into a myriad of stars and distant galaxies. Wanda and Maria looked at their surroundings in awe as they continuously flew upwards in a column of bright light. Sparks of red, blue, and green flew past them every so often. Thor was at the front with his hammer raised while Peter just admired the sight of so many different galaxies in the distance.

At the end was a dark portal and they passed through it before suddenly finding themselves standing on solid ground. Peter managed to keep his footing steady while Hill and Wanda stumbled a little.

"Welcome back, my prince."

The two youngest Avengers and Maria looked ahead to see a tall dark skinned man bowing his head before Thor. He was wearing ornate looking golden armor and held a huge sword in his hands.

"Hello, Heimdall." Thor said. "Allow me to introduce to you some of my friends from Midgard."

The God of thunder gestured to the Scarlet Witch and Maria. "This is Lady Wanda and Lady Hill, friends of mine from work."

Wanda waved in greeting while Maria gave a polite nod. Heimdall courteously nodded back.

"And this is young Peter Parker." Thor said, placing his hand on the young Spider's shoulder.

"Ah, the mortal who proved himself worthy to wield the mighty Mjolnir." The gatekeeper of Asgard smiled out of respect. "It is an honor to meet you and your friends."

"Likewise, Heimdall." Peter said, feeling a little nervous. "How'd you know I was able to lift Mjolnir?"

"My gifted senses allow me to see and hear all in this known universe. I laid witness to the moment when you lifted the mighty hammer. Our prince himself could not stop boasting to Lady Sif and the Warriors Three about it."

The young Spider looked at Thor, who only had a proud smile on his face. "It was a humbling moment, Man of Spiders. Aside from myself and Odin, you are the only one who's able to wield Mjolnir. Speaking of which, where is my father?"

"Odin is currently watching a play. Would you like me to inform him of your arrival?"

The God of thunder narrowed his eyes at the odd behavior of the Allfather. "Not yet. My friends need to get settled so we'll be heading to the palace first. Summon some steeds for us."

"At once, my lord." Heimdall bowed his head before he moved to do as Thor instructed.

Maria stepped closer to the podium where Heimdall's sword was embedded into. "So is this how your people controls the Bifrost?"

Thor nodded. "Indeed. Heimdall acts as the gatekeeper of the nine realms. It is his job to ensure nothing and no one invades Asgard."

Peter and Wanda walked to where the Bifrost Bridge began and they were amazed by how gorgeous the scenery looked. Below the bridge were two gigantic waterfalls that seemed to flow endlessly to the bottom. The sun shined brightly in the deep blue sky and Asgard was practically glowing with gold from the distance.

"This is beautiful." The young Sokovian woman whispered, holding Peter's hand.

Spidey silently agreed. His mind often tried to picture what Asgard was like when he was younger but this exceeded anything his imagination could come up with by a mile. He unslung his bag and pulled out his camera.

"Thor, is it alright if I take a picture of this?"

"Of course, Man of Spiders."

Peter nodded in thanks before he focused the camera at the best angle and snapped a couple of photos. Maria and Wanda posed for a few pictures with funny gestures and faces, making him chuckle. The funniest part was when Thor himself joined in and his goofy expressions made them all laugh even more.

"C'mon, Peter. You need to be in these pictures too." Hill beckoned for him to join them.

The young Spider set up a special timer on the camera before he quickly joined them in the middle. Maria and Wanda linked their arms with Peter's on both sides while Thor stood in the back and hugged them all by their necks. They happily smiled for the camera as it took their picture with the beautiful landscape of Asgard and the Bifrost bridge in the background.

The gatekeeper soon came back with three white horses following behind him. "Your steeds are ready."

"Thank you, Heimdall." Thor said before he turned to the others. "Let us head to the palace."

...

However beautiful Asgard looked from a distance, it paled in comparison once they arrived in the city. The design of the streets and buildings was an odd mix between that of ancient and modern architecture but it was still breathtaking to look at. The palace itself looked like it was almost built entirely out of nothing but solid gold and the size of the place was gigantic.

Peter slid off of the saddle from his horse first and he quickly helped Wanda down. Maria and Thor got off from their horses too before they followed the God of thunder as he led the way to the palace. Some of the other Asgardians gave them strange looks, mostly at Wanda and Maria. He wasn't certain but the young Spider suspected it was probably because of their clothes. The Asgardians all wore long flowing robes while Hill and the Scarlet Witch were wearing clothes from Earth. His own outfit was similar to Thor's minus the cape so he wasn't getting much of the odd stares from the Asgardians.

The inner halls of the palace were large and spacious as they entered the building. A few of the guards at their respective posts bowed their heads at Thor when they walked past them. The two youngest Avengers looked around and admired the beauty of the palace while holding each other's hands. Hill was also taking in the sights, wondering just how the Asgardians managed to build all this.

When they passed by the dining hall, a loud boisterous voice suddenly called out to the God of thunder. "Thor!"

A tall and portly man made his way over to them while holding a drumstick of meat in his hands. Behind him were two other men and a fair looking woman wearing a regal dress.

Thor gave the portly Asgardian a friendly hug. "It is good to see you again, Volstagg."

"Ah, are these the Midgardians you said would visit Asgard?"

"Indeed. These are my oldest friends in Asgard, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three: Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun."

Peter and Wanda gave them a friendly wave. Maria smiled with a courteous nod. Volstagg, Hogun, and Sif smiled in return and bowed their heads in greeting. Fandral on the other hand was looking at the young Sokovian woman and Hill with a small flirtatious grin on his face.

"I never knew Midgard was home to such angelic beauty. He said, bowing dramatically. Sif and Hogun just rolled their eyes behind him. "Perhaps we could get to know each other over a personal tour of the city later?"

Wanda and Maria frowned, not even remotely interested in the blonde Asgardian's obvious attempt to hit on them. They wrapped their arms firmly around both of Peter's. "No thanks. We're already with someone better."

Fandral's mouth dropped open in shock. Apparently, he was not used to being turned down by any women he set his eyes on. Sif and Volstagg laughed at their friend being rejected while Thor and Hogun took pity on him and only chuckled lightly. The God of thunder gave Peter a discrete knowing look that told him he wanted an explanation later about his relationship with Wanda and Maria.

"Is this the boy you told us about?" Sif asked. "The mortal who raised your hammer?"

Thor nodded. "Yes. This is Peter Parker, a young hero of Midgard. These two are Lady Wanda and Lady Maria, fellow heroines and trusted allies of mine."

"Just call us Wanda and Maria." Hill said. "None of us are really used to having titles."

The Warriors Three understood the request and agreed to it with a nod of their own. Lady Sif stared at Spidey with a curious gaze. The mortal was younger than any of them expected. She could see why Maria and Wanda were attracted to Peter...he was a very handsome young man. While Sif didn't have any interest in Spidey romantically, something about him invoked a feeling of protectiveness within her heart.

It probably had something to do with the fact that Peter was perhaps the most adorable Midgardian she's ever seen. With the Asgardian clothes he was wearing, he reminded her of Thor back when they were children and in training to be the warriors of Asgard that they are now.

"We'll talk more later. Right now, I need to take my friends to their quarters."

Volstagg nodded. "Fare thee well for now then, Midgardians. Hopefully, we'll meet each other again soon."

Maria and the two youngest Avengers gave them a smile before they followed Thor as he resumed leading the way to their quarters. Walking up a grand staircase, the God of thunder finally stopped and stood in front of two doors.

"Here's where you will be staying, my friends."

Peter and the others were immediately impressed by how grand the room looked once they stepped inside. In the middle of the room was a large bed with white drapes surrounding it from the top. Across from it was a fireplace with a fire already burning to provide additional warmth for the room. By the windows was a balcony that offered an amazing view of the city below.

"Is the room to your liking?" Thor asked, standing behind them.

"This is perfect. Thank you." Maria looked at Peter and her lips formed a sly grin. "I don't think we'll be needing the second room though...that bed is big enough for the three of us. We'll just share this room."

Wanda giggled as she watched Peter's face blush a twinge of red. Hill and Thor just chuckled before the God of thunder excused himself and turned to leave.

"I had a feeling you'd say that. I shall leave to let you all rest for a while then. No doubt some of you are still tired from getting up so early. When it is time to dine, I will send someone to let you know."

Thor left the room and closed the door, leaving the three humans alone. The two ladies removed their coats and shoes before they climbed onto the bed.

"I don't know about you guys but I could use a nap before we head back down." The Scarlet Witch said as her head rested on top of the comfy pillows.

Hill nodded in agreement, letting out a small yawn. "Sounds good to me. Care to join us, Peter?"

The young Spider nervously chuckled before he took off the Asgardian sleeveless shirt and kicked off his boots. Maria and Wanda grinned as they happily ogled Peter's well muscled body. They wrapped their arms around Peter and cuddled beside him on the bed. The young Spider watched them fall asleep with a smile before he closed his own eyes.

 _'I'm glad we came to Asgard together.'_ Peter thought, holding them closer as he drifted to sleep.

...

 **\- Before any of you ask, Lady Sif isn't in love with Peter.**

 **\- As for the discovering Odin is Loki part, I'm still working on it. I might just leave it as it happened in the movie...where Thor immediately figures out why Odin is acting so out of character.**


	25. Chapter 25

**\- So there's this interesting little debate a few of my friends are having: Who's the more cuter daughter? Morgan Stark in Avengers Endgame or Laura Kinney from Logan? I'm on the fence about this...I think they're both cute in their own ways. Laura might be a little difficult for some to see considering she doesn't hesitate to kill people dumb enough to antagonize her but there are moments in Logan where you just can't help but find her to be adorable.**

 **\- I understand that not everyone are fans of stories like this and that's perfectly fine with me. We all have our own tastes and I'm certainly not demanding those folks to read this if they don't like it. Just go and find another story to read that's more to your liking.**

 **As for the others who've stuck with me thus far, I thank you. Please enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter was the first to wake up from their little nap when he heard someone knocking on the door. He was a little reluctant to get up though. One reason was because this bed was the most comfortable mattress he's ever slept on. The other was because Maria's and Wanda's arms were still entangled around his body as they slept. As much as he didn't want to disturb their rest, Spidey knew they had to get up now and meet Thor in the dining hall. He carefully removed their arms away from his chest and left the bed to answer the door.

"Hello, Man of Spiders." Lady Sif greeted. "Thor asked me to come get you and your friends."

"Just call me Peter, Lady Sif. Let me wake them up first and we'll quickly join you."

Sif nodded before she closed the door and waited outside. Peter walked back to the bed and gently shook Maria and Wanda by their shoulders.

"Hmm...Peter?" Hill mumbled as she woke up first. "Is it time to eat already?"

"Yeah."

Wanda sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Glad we took a nap. I'm feeling much better now."

The young Spider smiled before he quickly put on his Asgardian shirt again. Maria and Wanda grabbed their shoes and tucked their coats beneath their arms. Hill noticed Peter's camera sitting on the night rest and she quickly grabbed it for him. Thanking her, he slung the camera around his neck. Lady Sif was still patiently waiting outside and gave them a friendly nod when they stepped out. She led the way to the dining hall, where they could see Thor and the Warriors three already eating away at the front of the long table.

"Welcome back, young Parker." The God of thunder said. "I trust you, Lady Hill, and Lady Wanda rested well?"

Peter nodded before he took a seat next to Thor. "Yeah. I'm actually kind of jealous...the beds you guys have here is way more comfortable than the ones back home."

"He's not joking." Maria added as she and Wanda sat down. Lady Sif sat next to Hill at the end of the bench. "I thought I was sleeping on a cloud or something."

Thor chuckled. "Well, I'm glad it's to your satisfaction. You should all eat. As soon as your hunger is sated, we shall give you a tour of the city."

Peter and the others grabbed a plate and selected their food from the variety of delectable dishes on the table. He could recognize the fruit and bread but the other foods were a mystery to him. Not wanting to miss out on anything, the young Spider put a little bit of everything he could see onto his plate. Wanda and Maria had already begun to eat and he quickly dug in as well.

Sif watched Peter eat with a fond smile on her face...Thor was not joking when he said the Man of Spiders had an appetite that almost rivaled Volstagg's. Fortunately, his table manners were much better than her long time friend's. Volstagg usually just gorged on everything at a frightening speed. She always wondered how it was he never once choked on his food with the way he ate.

She poured some orange juice and offered Peter the cup. "Here, drink this to help wash the food down."

The young Spider smiled in thanks before he accepted the cup and took a long sip. Thor just looked at Lady Sif and grinned...it was nice to see her caring nature in action. She rarely showed it but it seems the Man of Spiders had inspired a bit of her maternal instincts to come forth.

"So what are we doing today?" Wanda asked, chewing away the last of her food.

"Lady Sif and I will show you all around our fair city. I believe the best place to start is in the North quadrant of Asgard."

Maria drank the rest of her water before she nodded. "Sounds good to me. Are we ready to go?"

"Yep." Peter said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I'm all done eating. Let's check out the city."

The five of them got up from the table and began to leave. The Warriors Three remained where they were...Volstagg kept eating while Hogun and Fandral were sipping away at their drinks.

"Perhaps if our patrols are finished, we will join you later." Hogun said with his unique accent flowing through each word.

Thor nodded before he and Lady Sif led the way out of the palace. Wanda held Peter's hand as they walked together through the streets. Maria stood next to the two youngest Avengers, keeping a careful eye out around their surroundings. It may've been a little unnecessary but she figured it was best to keep their guard up. A few of the Asgardians they passed by respectfully bowed their heads for their Prince before they continued on their way.

None of them could hide their awe as they marveled at how beautiful the city looked.

The first place they stopped at was inside a very tall tower. When they walked in, there were many Asgardians scattered all over the room, studying large ancient books written in strange text while some of them were doing strange hand gestures.

"This is where our people come to learn the basics of casting spells and magic." Lady Sif explained. Wanda listened to her with intrigue and paid close attention. "It is a part of every Asgardian warrior's training but there are some who show a talent for spell casting and they choose to study more advanced magic."

"What kind of magic do they learn here?" The Scarlet Witch asked.

Lady Sif recalled some of her own lessons when she was younger. "We learn how to cast simple illusions, materialization spells, shapeshifting, and basic healing spells."

Wanda nodded, thinking about whether or not to learn some Asgardian magic for herself. She could do many things with her powers but healing wasn't one of them. If she could learn the basics of how healing magic works, it would be useful in the future should Peter or any of the other Avengers get injured in the field.

Peter gave the God of thunder a curious look. "Are you able to use spells, Thor?"

"No...at least not very well." Thor said, shaking his head. "I was too brash as a child and did not have the patience to learn magic. My mother was very good with magic though, perhaps more so than my father. It was she who taught Loki everything he knew about being a spellcaster."

Sif snorted out of amusement. "If he had kept up with his training, it would've saved us a lot of trouble when we were younger. There was this one time when Loki turned Thor into a frog and it took us a week to find him before Lady Frigga finally broke the spell."

The two youngest Avengers and Maria laughed as they tried to picture the powerful God of thunder being a frog. Thor glared at Lady Sif for telling them that story. It was an embarrassing part of his past that he would've preferred to be kept secret. Sif shrugged with a playful grin on her face in response.

Hill did her best to stifle her laughter. "A frog? Did he have to eat flies for a week too?"

Lady Sif nodded with a giggle of her own. "I don't know if he ate them for a week but I did see Thor snatching up flies with his tongue a few times.

"Oh, man. That's funny." The young Spider said, wiping a tear.

He raised his camera and took a few photos of the Asgardian magic learning hall. Lady Sif was intrigued by the object slung around his neck, her fingers touching the camera like that of a curious child.

"What is this, Peter?"

"This? It's my camera. This one's a little old but we use these on Earth to take pictures of people and scenery."

Sif nodded in understanding. "Where are the pictures?"

"They're currently stored in this canister of film." Peter opened the camera and showed her the roll of film within. "I have to develop the photos first before I can show them to you."

"I see...perhaps you could take a picture of Thor and I?"

The young Spider nodded. "Of course."

Thor and Lady Sif stood in between the marble pillars. The God of thunder wrapped his arm around her shoulders before they smiled for the camera. Peter snapped a few pictures and gave them a thumbs up to let them know he took the photos.

"Let us head to the next place." Thor said as he motioned for them to follow. "There is much more to see in Asgard."

...

The two Asgardians took them to a variety of different places. The first area they came to after the Asgardian learning hall of magic was the local marketplace, where their people shopped for daily goods and services. It wasn't all that different from some of the marketplaces on Earth to be honest...except for the fact that there were also blacksmith vendors here who sold a variety of exotic swords, axes, and bows.

After that, Lady Sif and Thor led them to a more quieter area of the city. They asked them to talk in a low voice before entering one of the many great libraries in Asgard. Wanda and Peter were amazed by the design and sheer size of the building...it was like a slightly smaller version of the palace. Maria carefully grabbed a book from one of the shelves and opened it. The words were written in some strange dialect that even she couldn't read despite being proficient in various languages.

"What language is this?" Hill asked the God of thunder.

"I believe your people on Earth call it an ancient Norse dialect." Thor explained. "I doubt you can read any of the verses in there right now but I'd be more than happy to teach you how if you'd like."

Maria smiled. "I'll think about it. Thank you."

She put the book back before they left the library and continued to the next place. Along the way, many women were giving Thor some obvious appreciative glances. It seemed like this was something the God of thunder was already used to though...and Lady Sif for that matter. She just rolled her eyes at all the women who were trying to get her secret paramour to look at them and simply walked closer beside Thor. Her annoyance quickly turned to amusement though when she and Thor noticed a few of the younger girls and even some of the older women were checking Peter out too.

It didn't escape Spidey's attention as his face turned red from the way the Asgardian women were eyeing him...some with a small predatory smile on their faces. Wanda saw it too and she glared at some of the women before she hugged Peter's arm tightly. Hill just gave them a warning scowl as she firmly held Peter's right hand.

Peter could feel Wanda's breasts pressing into his arm and it only made him blush even more.

Lady Sif chuckled at the cute look of awkwardness on Peter's face. It looked like he wasn't used to having so much attention being focused on him. Her pace quickened so they could get away from the people faster. Thor struggled to catch up with her for a moment as they walked towards what looked like a large training field.

There were a few Asgardians doing combat drills. Some were sparring in hand to hand combat while others were swinging staffs and swords made of wood at each other. The edge and ends of the staffs and swords were wrapped in thin leather, presumably so they wouldn't cause major injuries if it hit the other person.

Sif glanced at Wanda and Maria...more specifically their attire and suddenly got an idea. "Thor, why don't you take Peter and train with him for a bit? There's something I'd like to show Lady Wanda and Lady Hill."

The God of thunder had a look of confusion and intrigue on his face, as did the Scarlet Witch and Maria. "Where are you taking them?"

"It's a secret. We'll meet up later back at the palace." She said before motioning for the two ladies to follow.

They looked at Peter, who nodded for them to go with her. "Go ahead. I'll catch up with you two later."

Maria and Wanda smiled and pecked a kiss on both cheeks of Peter's face before they left with Lady Sif. Thor and Spider-Man walked to a weapons rack that held many wooden swords and staffs.

"Pick one, young Parker. Let us see how well you can fight."

Peter grabbed a staff and span it in his hand a few times. He had no idea how to use a sword but Natasha and Maria have taught him how to wield a staff from time to time. He was familiar with the basics of how to block, parry, and strike at the right moment. Thor grabbed one as well before he stepped out to the middle of the field. The young Spider followed and stood ready in a battle stance.

"Ready when you are."

"Let us begin then."

The God of thunder suddenly swung his staff from the right. Raising his weapon to the right, Peter was able to block it in time. Thor forced him backwards with a powerful push before he thrusted the end of his staff at his chest. Spider-Man parried the attempted blow to the side and swung the lower half of his weapon up at Thor's face. The Asgardian Prince managed to move his head out of the way but he found himself stumbling back a few steps when Peter kicked him in the chest. Front flipping forward to create more momentum, Spidey brought his staff down to hit Thor in the head but the God of thunder recovered quickly enough to block the attack by raising his staff above his head.

He drove his right fist into his abdomen, nearly knocking the wind out of Spider-Man. Thor tried to trip him by sweeping the staff beneath his legs but Peter's Spider sense warned him in time and he leapt out of the way before he swung the top of his staff into the side of Thor's face. The God of thunder winced as the wooden weapon lashed against his right cheek. It wasn't exactly painful but the blow still stung like he'd just been slapped.

"Well done, young Parker." Thor complimented, massaging his face. "I see Lady Natasha and Lady Hill have trained you well."

Peter smiled as he caught his breath. "Yeah, they did. I doubt I would've lasted longer than a few seconds against you if they hadn't taken the time to teach me."

Thor dropped his staff and raised his hand. Mjolnir came flying all the way from the palace into his palm. The God of thunder swung it around a few times before he held it out for Peter.

"Take it. I think it's time to show you how to wield Mjolnir."

The young Spider was surprised. "Uh, you sure?"

"I don't see why not. You've already proven yourself to be able to lift the hammer. It'd be wise for you to learn how to use it too."

Peter felt a little uncertain but he wrapped his fingers around the leather grip of Mjolnir nonetheless.

"Now throw it in any direction and wait a few moments before you hold out your hand. The hammer should come back to you."

Peter nodded and took a deep breath before he threw Mjolnir to the sky on the left. The hammer rocketed through the air as it quickly faded into the distance. After a moment passed, he held his hand out and waited for the powerful weapon to return.

It took a few seconds but Mjolnir soon came rushing back to his hand. Peter looked at the hammer in slight awe before he turned to give it back to the God of thunder.

There was a pleased smile on Thor's face as he shook his head. "No, hold on to Mjolnir. There is much more for you to learn when it comes to wielding it."

...

Peter held Mjolnir in his hand as he made his way back to the palace. True to his word, Thor had showed him how to wield Mjolnir as a weapon both offensively and defensively. One of them was a technique he often employed in battle. By spinning his hammer at rapid speeds to the ground, Thor was able to unleash torrential waves of dirt or sometimes ice when it came to Jotunheim at the enemy to disorient them. The God of thunder asked Peter to try it for himself after he demonstrated how it worked.

Spidey nodded and spun Mjolnir rapidly before he lowered it to the ground. Unfortunately, Thor had forgotten to get out of the way and he was soon blasted by a huge amount of dirt. The poor God of thunder was completely covered in earth and sand from head to toe. Peter kept apologizing while doing his best to hold back his laughter.

"It is alright, Man of Spiders." Thor had said. He brushed away some of the dust from his face. "I should go and clean myself up before dinner. Think you can get back to the palace on your own? It's just straight down this road."

"Sure...but what about this?" He asked, holding up the hammer.

"Hold on to it for now. I think it'll be good for you to get more acquainted with Mjolnir. I'll meet you at the palace."

Thor flew off towards the palace...with bits of dirt and sand dropping away from his body as he rushed through the air. Peter was almost back at the palace when he stopped for a moment to take a better look at Mjolnir. He ran his fingers across the edges...despite having been used in battle for thousands of years, there didn't seem to be any scratches or dents on the weapon at all. There were intricate carvings etched along the sides of the hammer. Peter had no idea what they meant though...maybe later he would ask Thor about them.

The young Spider was so focused on Mjolnir that he didn't notice the individual bumping into him by accident. A basketful of fruit and bread fell to the ground around them.

Peter set the hammer on an empty bench before he helped picked up the scattered items on the ground. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, sir." A young female voice responded. "It's my fault. I should've watched where I was going."

Spidey looked in front and saw a little blonde girl who looked to be about fourteen getting up from the ground. She was dressed in green robes and a interesting little headpiece adorned her face. He quickly gathered all the fallen fruit and bread back into the basket and handed it back to her.

"Here you are."

The little girl smiled gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

"Call me Peter. I'm not old enough to be a sir yet. What's your name?"

"...Amora."

"It's nice to meet you, Amora. I don't know if you'd want to eat the bread after it fell to the dirt though. You might want to get a new batch."

Amora looked down at the basket she was carrying. "Oh...but I've already spent all the money my mother gave me to buy the bread I have now."

Spidey frowned. He wanted to help her but he wasn't sure how. His pockets weren't exactly filled with Asgardian currency. Glancing at the palace, Peter suddenly got an idea. It was a long shot but if he found Lady Sif, it might work.

"I might be able to help you. Come with me." He said, grabbing the hammer.

Amora was hesitant for a moment before she followed the kind gentleman. Her heart began to beat nervously when she realized he was taking her to Odin's palace, a place she entered only once before...the day when Thor was almost crowned the King of Asgard a few years ago. She, her sister, and her mother were in attendance as part of the audience.

Peter noticed the nervous look on Amora's face and he gently grasped her hand to keep her calm. Amora was surprised for a moment but slowly gave him a small smile as she held onto his hand. The young Spider spotted Lady Sif coming down from a set of stairs near the entrance.

"Welcome back, Peter." She said before spotting the young girl beside him. "Who is this?"

"This is Amora. I was wondering if you could help her with something."

"It's nice to meet you, little one." Lady Sif smiled at the Asgardian teenager. "How may I help you?"

Amora just nodded back, stupefied by the fact that the famous Lady Sif was actually talking to her.

Peter held up the basket full of fruit and bread. "Amora dropped everything in this basket when she accidentally bumped into me. She doesn't have anymore money to buy a fresh batch and I was wondering-"

"If the palace would have some?" Sif finished for him. "Of course we do. Given how Volstagg eats, we always have to stock up on extra food. Guard!"

An armoured man came forward and bowed his head. "Yes, milady?"

"Go to the kitchen and fetch me a fresh basket of fruit and bread. Give what's in this one to the horses."

The guard left to do as he was instructed.

"T-thank you, Lady Sif." Amora nervously bowed her head.

"It is no trouble at all, little one. I assume you are doing an errand for your mother?"

"Yes, I am."

"It is good of you to help out your mother. She's lucky to have you for a daughter."

"She already does so much for my sister and I. It's only right for me to help wherever I can, Lady Sif. "

"Well said." Sif nodded in approval just as the guard came back with a new basketful of fresh fruit and bread. Soon as the guard handed the basket to Sif, he quickly left to resume his post.

"Here you are, Amora. I hope this is enough."

Amora smiled as she took the basket. "It is more than enough. Thank you so much. I must get back home before it gets too late."

She then turned to Spidey and bowed her head. "Thank you for your help, sir Peter."

"No problem. Be careful on your way home."

Amora tilted her head up and pecked a kiss on Peter's face before she turned around to leave. Sif just giggled as his cheeks turned a twinge of pink from the sudden kiss.

"You were very kind to help her." She said, looking at the hammer in the young Spider's hands. "I can see why Mjolnir deemed you worthy to wield it."

Peter just shrugged as he held up Mjolnir. "I just did what I could to lend a hand. I would've given her the money to buy a new batch but I don't have any Asgardian currency."

"Where's Thor? I thought he was with you."

The image of the God of thunder being covered in dirt and sand came back to mind and he smirked. "Uh, Thor came back to the palace first to get cleaned up."

Lady Sif nodded and motioned for Peter to follow her. "Sounds like there's a funny tale there. I'll have to ask him about it later. Come with me. Everyone is waiting for you in the dining hall...Lady Wanda and Lady Hill have a very nice surprise for you."

Intrigued by what she said, Peter quickly followed her...wondering just what kind of surprise the Scarlet Witch and Hill were planning for him.

...

 **\- Amora won't be dating Peter. She's only fourteen years old...or whatever the equivalent Asgardian age is for a human fourteen year old girl. She might still appear a few times but I just thought it'd be fun to include her considering there's no MCU counterpart of her anywhere.**

 **\- Considering Cap was able to learn how to wield lightning as a weapon with Mjolnir in a matter of seconds after lifting the hammer in Endgame, (Uh, spoiler alert?) Peter should be able to do the same since he's worthy to wield Mjolnir at least in this.**


	26. Chapter 26

**\- It's mentioned in the first chapter but Peter Parker is eighteen in this story. He's been Spider-Man for three years before Tony recruited him to be a part of the Avengers. As I've said before, this is an AU of the MCU so Peter is a little older.**

 **\- Some people have asked if Peter's gonna get an Asgardian girlfriend. I'm not really sure yet...it's already challenging enough for me to think of ideas for his current relationships. We'll see what happens though.**

 **...**

"Lady Sif, where are we going?"

The beautiful Asgardian woman just gave Maria a mysterious smile as she kept walking. "You will see in a moment. We're almost there."

Hill nodded while sharing a baffled look with Wanda. They both have been wondering about where Sif was taking them after they split up from Peter and Thor. Wanda was the first to ask about their destination but the answer Sif gave then was the same as her response just now. Though they tried to be discreet about it, Maria was aware of the fact that some of the Asgardians were giving them odd looks.

If she had to guess, it was probably because of the clothes she and Wanda were wearing. While their attire would be considered normal on Earth, it was a strong contrast to the long flowing robes the Asgardians were wearing. They were probably comfortable in their own way but Hill thought the robes looked very easy to trip over in.

Lady Sif finally stopped and turned around to face them. "Here we are."

The Scarlet Witch and Hill took a good look at where they were. In front of them was a modest looking building...though it seemed to be the same size as the library they visited earlier. Sif led them inside and they were surprised by what was waiting there. Dozens of dresses similar to Sif's and robes were placed in several organized rows, all in different colours and sizes. Each one looked beautifully designed in their own way and there was no doubt only the finest fabrics were used in their making.

Maria had to admit even the simplest dress here looked better than the ones she owned back home.

"These look amazing, Lady Sif...but why are we here?"

"For a very simple reason." Sif replied. "I thought it'd be good if you two tried on the clothes of our people for yourselves."

The young Sokovian woman wasn't sure she heard right. "You mean wear one of these? Are we allowed?"

"I don't see why not. Peter himself is wearing the traditional clothes of a young Asgardian warrior. I admit I don't like putting on a dress very much but it is nice to wear them every now and then."

"I guess it couldn't hurt." Hill said with a shrug. "Since we're in Asgard, we might as well try some Asgardian clothes on while we have the chance."

Sif was glad to hear that. "Wonderful! I will find the seamstress and bring her here. In the meantime, feel free to pick anything you like."

The powerful Asgardian woman left as Wanda and Maria began to search through some of the clothes. Hill was looking at a few that had caught her eye earlier. The Scarlet Witch on the other hand wasn't sure what to choose yet...there were just so many options to pick from. As Wanda took a better look at the Asgardian clothes, the idea of learning the basics of healing with her powers came back to mind. It sounded very practical but there was a small chance that Asgardian magic might not work for her.

Lady Sif soon returned with a middle aged woman in tow. Maria approached them with some of the clothing she had already picked out hanging on her arm.

"Have you found everything you were looking for?" The middle aged woman asked kindly.

Hill nodded. "I think so. I didn't want to be greedy so I only took a few items."

"Very good. I will take your measurements so we can adjust the clothes to fit you properly. This way, please."

Maria followed her to one of the fitting rooms while Lady Sif went to Wanda, who was still trying to find something she liked.

"Having trouble deciding?"

The young Sokovian woman gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah, there's just so many to choose from."

"...It seems like there's something else on your mind." Sif said, having seen the contemplative look on her face earlier.

Wanda stared into Sif's eyes and took a deep breath. "Maybe...you mentioned earlier how you and Thor learned the basics of healing magic?"

"Yes. It's been a long time since I've last used healing magic but I still remember how it works."

"Well, I was wondering if you'd be willing to teach me how to do it?"

The Asgardian woman raised an eyebrow. "You wish to learn how to use Asgardian healing spells?"

"Only the basics of it." Wanda explained as her hands glowed red with energy. "My powers are of the magical nature in a sense but I've never used them to heal before. If I could understand how to do so, it would be helpful to my team if one of them gets injured during a mission."

"I see..." Lady Sif muttered before a smile graced her face. "Very well then. I would be honored to teach you how to heal with your powers."

"Thank you, Lady Sif. I appreciate it." The Scarlet Witch bowed her head gratefully.

"Of course. We will begin our lessons tomorrow morning if that's alright with you."

"That's fine."

"Good. For now though, I think you should decide on what to wear from here." Sif looked at the scarlet coat she wore and nodded in approval. "The colour red suits you very well. Perhaps you should pick out the robes and dresses that are in that colour."

Wanda smirked. "That's funny. Peter said the same thing."

"Really? I wonder how Peter would react once he sees you two in Asgardian clothes?"

The young Sokovian woman wondered about the same thing and giggled. Peter would probably turn into an adorable blushing mess as he struggled to find the right words to say. A mischievous idea came to Wanda's mind and she went to go find Maria to share with her her plan for their boyfriend.

...

Peter set the camera and Mjolnir down on the night stand before he went to take a quick bath. Even the bathroom in their quarters looked bigger and grander than anything back home...he'd never tell Mr. Stark but it probably surpassed the Avengers Compound back on Earth too. One thing certain about the Asgardians was that they really knew how to design a home. He removed his clothes and quickly stepped into the bathtub, which seemed more like a hotspring. The Asgardians didn't use showers but Thor had informed them once the water was drained, the tub would quickly refill itself with clean hot water thanks to a handy enchantment.

The surprise that Sif mentioned earlier was on his mind as he scrubbed away the dirt and sweat from his body. Not that he wished to ruin it or anything but the young Spider was curious about what Wanda and Maria had planned for him. He laid on his back and relaxed for a moment. Today was only their first day in Asgard and already they laid witness to so many wondrous sights in the city. He couldn't wait to see the rest of Asgard tomorrow. The pictures he had taken so far were still stored in the film...he would have to remember to develop them once they returned home.

Peter tied a towel around his waist before he got out of the tub and left the bathroom. A simple blue t-shirt with a pair of sweats and boxers was already set on the table. Not wanting to keep the others waiting, the young Spider quickly got dressed and summoned Mjolnir to his hand. Just being able to do that felt really cool...he never once imagined the mighty hammer of Thor would deem him to be worthy out of all the Avengers. As Peter walked down the grand staircase, he noticed the guards were bowing their heads at him.

Peter wasn't sure how to respond so he just nodded back with a awkward smile. When he stepped in to the dining hall, the Warriors Three were already at the table and they greeted him with a friendly wave...before the expressions on their faces turned into one of awe and disbelief. The other Asgardians in the hall grew silent as they all stared at Spidey.

"Uh, did I do something wrong?" Peter asked. His arms were raised slightly in a surrendering fashion.

Hogun was the first to speak. "By the Allfathers, he really can wield the hammer."

"I didn't think it was true at first but now..." Fandral trailed off as his eyes widened at the sight of Mjolnir being held in Peter's hand.

"Let us give a toast to the worthy Man of Spiders!" Volstagg yelled, raising his cup of mead.

Everyone in the hall immediately raised their glasses and cheered for Spider-Man, who nervously chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. He wasn't used to getting applause like this so this was new to him.

"As I said before, young Parker..." Thor suddenly said from behind, looking all cleaned up. "The moment you lifted Mjolnir was a very humbling one."

"Hey, Thor. Looks like you were able to get all that dirt and sand off, huh?"

The God of thunder chuckled as he and Peter sat down at the table. "Yes, I was. It was a bit troublesome to scrub off all the soil you unleashed on me with Mjolnir but I managed to do so in the end."

Volstagg passed over a plateful of food to Thor. One of the many servers poured some water into his glass. Peter gave her his thanks and took a sip before he began to nibble away on some chicken strips. Even the food here tasted better than most of the dishes he's ever had on Earth...although nothing could ever beat his Aunt May's cooking in his opinion.

Lady Sif entered the dining hall and patted Peter's shoulder from behind. "Eating already? Good. A growing warrior like you needs to eat more."

Spidey bowed his head in greeting. "Welcome back, Lady Sif. Where's Wanda and Maria?"

"We're right here, Peter."

Peter turned around in his seat...and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Standing right behind him was Wanda, wearing a red Asgardian dress. The straps stopped at her upper arms and it showed just the right amount of her impressive cleavage without being too provocative. Her midriff was bare and while the skirt portion covered most of her legs, a part of it was cut away on the right side that showed off her leg to the upper thighs.

The Scarlet Witch looked both so beautiful and sensual...and Peter couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Maria suddenly walked up beside the young Sokovian woman with a smirk on her face. "Hello, Peter. Welcome back."

Hill's dress was very similar to Wanda's except hers was white in colour and there was a dark blue sash wrapped around her waist. The skirt of her dress kept the front and back well covered but from her lower thighs down, the sides of her well toned legs were completely exposed. Peter found himself at a complete loss for words as he admired the beauty of the two women.

The Scarlet Witch giggled as she sat down next to Peter and gently pushed his jaw closed. "How do we look? We wore these dresses just for you."

"Y-you both look amazing...I guess I'm a little under dressed, huh?"

Maria sat down on the other side and pecked a kiss on Peter's face. "You're fine. It's not like we expect you to wear the same thing everyday."

The small look of jealousy on Fandral's face made Lady Sif and Thor chuckle. No doubt their friend was trying to figure out how the Man of Spiders was able to attract the two beautiful Midgardian women's undivided attention. The God of thunder wondered about that himself...he already knew young Parker and Lady Wanda were in love with each other but never did he expect Lady Hill to be involved with him as well. There was definitely a story here and Thor made a mental note to ask the Man of Spiders about it later.

"It is good to see you again, Lady Maria. Lady Wanda. The Asgardian clothes suits you both well." Volstagg praised.

Hill smiled at his kind words. "Thank you, Volstagg. We're glad to have the chance to wear these."

"How do you like our fair city?" Hogun asked, wiping his mouth. "Does Asgard meet your expectations?"

Wanda nodded. "Asgard far exceeds anything we've imagined. This city is perhaps the most beautiful place I've ever seen."

Thor raised his glass to that. "It makes me happy to hear you say so. We will take you all to see the rest of the city tomorrow afternoon."

"Why in the afternoon?" Maria asked.

"There are some things I wish to show young Parker when it comes to wielding Mjolnir in the morning. As I understand it, Sif will be instructing Lady Wanda in something as well tomorrow."

Lady Sif looked at the Scarlet Witch and smiled. "Indeed. Maria, you mentioned an interest in learning our language earlier? I could teach you how to read Asgardian too if you'd like."

"Oh no, that's okay. I don't want to make things too busy for you."

"It will be fine. There isn't much I have to do for the next couple of days."

Hill was still a little uncertain but she relented in the end. "Alright...as long as it doesn't interfere with whatever you're teaching Wanda."

Sif nodded reassuringly. "It won't."

"Now that that's settled, why don't you Midgardians regale us with a tale of your adventures on Earth?" Volstagg suggested excitedly. "Thor has told us of his heroic battles with the Avengers many times but surely you must have stories of your own."

The Scarlet Witch didn't know what to say about that. Her 'heroic adventures' thus far have been only with the Avengers and their missions. The battle against Ultron in Sokovia was something Thor had probably already told his friends about. Maria just shook her head...her work with the team was mostly just feeding them intel and she wasn't sure if that was the kind of story the Asgardians wanted to hear. Her field work as a SHIELD agent before the organization fell wasn't an option either. Most of it was still classified.

They turned to Peter...who was in the middle of eating some roast deer. It was only when the young Spider ate the last of the meat that he realized everyone was looking at him.

"What's going on?" He asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"The Asgardians would like to hear about some of your adventures as Spider-Man." Hill explained.

Peter's eyes widened. "Really? Uh...what do they want to know?"

"Anything you can tell us, Peter." Lady Sif nodded encouragingly. "We're all curious about some of the battles you've fought as Spider-Man."

He wasn't much of a story teller but Spidey supposed there was no harm in telling them about some of the weird supervillains he fought before joining the Avengers. The entire table listened with rapt attention as he explained the nature of his powers. Maria and Wanda felt sympathy for Peter when he mentioned his failure in stopping his Uncle Ben's murder and how that inspired him to use his great power to save lives.

Lady Sif looked at Peter with a bit of sorrow in her eyes...he had already lost his father figure at such a young age.

Peter did his best to describe his battles against the likes of Rhino, Shocker, and the Vulture, making his audience grow excited at every detail. A few of the Asgardians winced when he mentioned some of the injuries and damage he suffered during those battles. They cheered upon hearing about the clever ways he used to defeat those supervillains. Young Parker's methods reminded Thor of Loki's tactics in battle in a way. He often employed his magic to confuse and distract enough so he could get in close to the enemy and finish them off with minimal effort.

"So this Rhino fainted because you shot webbing into his mouth?" Fandral asked, looking impressed.

Peter nodded. "Yeah. One thing about most bad guys on Earth is that they have this weird habit of laughing once they get cocky. I just blocked Rhino's throat with enough webbing so he'd essentially choke himself out."

Sif laughed at the stupidity of some of these Midgardian villains. "Did you ever have to battle any of these foes more than once?"

"Vulture and Shocker for some reason never broke out of prison but I've had to kick Rhino's ass a couple of times. Doctor Octopus and I fought against each other a lot too."

"Doctor Octopus?" Wanda asked, laughing at the silly name. "What kind of name is that?"

Spider-Man smirked. "It's a stupid name, I know. His real name was Otto Octavius. He used to be a well respected scientist until an accident fused four metal appendages directly into his spine. The accident must've cooked his brain too because Doc Ock suddenly thought of himself as the most superior mind in the world and was convinced everyone was out to get him. Every time I fought him, it was always at a bank or major science facility."

"Because he was always needing funds or parts for his mad science projects." Maria added. "I've read some of the reports SHIELD made about your fights with Octavius."

"In a nutshell, yeah. I never knew what Doc Ock was working on though. I always managed to beat him before he could finish his plans." Spidey said. He chuckled at the number of times Octavius had cursed at him as he was being taken away by the police. "The last time we fought was about two years ago...it was probably one of the toughest battles of my life."

Hogun held up his hand. "You said 'was'. Is this Doctor Octopus...?"

Peter was silent for a second before he slowly nodded. "He's dead."

Wanda and Thor didn't expect to hear that. They had never known Peter to kill anyone before...Surely, he didn't actually murder the supervillain?

"...He didn't." Hill knew what they were thinking and it was the farthest thing from the truth. She placed her hand on top of Peter's, making him smile a little at the comforting gesture.

"After I kicked Ock into an empty building, he surrendered or at least he pretended to get me to put my guard down." Peter said, staring blankly at his glass. "I already ripped off three of his metal tentacles but the last one was still functioning and he was secretly positioning it behind my back as I approached him. Once Ock believed I was close enough, a dagger popped out of his tentacle and he tried to impale me with it."

He paused for a moment to drink some water. "Thanks to my Spider sense warning me, I managed to get out of the way in time. Dr. Octopus must've forgotten he was in the line of attack though...because he ended up stabbing himself in the head."

There were a few gasps coming from some of the Asgardians who were listening. Wanda covered her mouth in shock as she gave Peter a look of concern. Maria just tightened her grip around Peter's hand.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Peter nodded. "I'm okay. It wasn't my first time seeing death...although that was the first time I've seen someone die in such a bloody way."

Hill could only imagine how troubling that experience must've been for him at the age of sixteen. Superhero or not, witnessing such a disturbing sight would've taken a long time to get over. Sif understood how Peter presumably felt at the time...as Asgardian warriors, killing their enemies was to be expected of them. The very first life she took was a memorable one. Sif remembered the sick feeling in her gut as she watched the life of her foe slowly fade away from their eyes. Her dreams were haunted by that image for a while before they eventually stopped.

"I'm not sad that Doc Ock is gone." The young Spider muttered, looking up at them. "He hurt too many people in the pursuit of his mad science."

"Good. You aren't wrong for feeling that way." Thor stated with a firm voice. "Perhaps it could've ended differently but had this Octavius villain lived, there's no doubt he would have brought more reckless harm to your people. His death was by his own doing and I daresay Earth is better off without him."

Wanda hugged Peter by his shoulders. "Thor's right. Don't feel guilty for something that wasn't your fault."

"I know." Spidey's lips quirked into a small smile. "Don't worry, I'm already over it. May pretty much hammered the fact that it wasn't my fault into my head."

"My apologies, Man of Spiders." Volstagg said. "I did not mean to bring up horrible memories for you."

"What? No, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who decided to tell you guys about my previous battles as Spider-Man."

Sif raised her cup and gave Spidey a little toast. "It is good you've recovered well from such a battle. You should be commended for continuing to fight for such a noble cause despite being so young."

"Aye. Let us give another toast to my friends for their valiant heroics!"

Every Asgardian in the dining hall raised their glasses and let out a heartful cheer for Peter, Wanda, and Maria. The two youngest Avengers and Hill smiled awkwardly, not used to being applauded for their work. Spider-Man and Maria worked with the Avengers because they felt it was their duty and responsibility while the Scarlet Witch wanted to make amends for siding with Ultron two years ago.

Neither of them were heroes for the attention or personal glory. They just wanted to do the right thing.

"Thank you, everyone." Peter said before a small yawn escaped his lips.

Lady Sif's heart nearly melted at how cute young Parker looked right now. "You should get some rest. There will be much more to see in Asgard tomorrow."

"Sounds good. We can't eat another bite anyways." Maria said, getting up from her seat.

Thor nodded. "I bid you all a good night then. We will come get you in the morning for your respective lessons."

Peter and Wanda got up and waved at everyone before they followed Hill back to their room. Truth be told, none of them was really feeling tired but they were looking forward to spending some time together alone.

The God of thunder watched his friends leave before a guard approached him and bowed his head.

"The Allfather wishes to see you, my lord."

...

Wanda and Maria headed to the bathroom first to change while Peter sat down by the fireplace with Mjolnir in his hand. Thor once mentioned that whoever proved able to lift his hammer would be ruler of Asgard should something happen to Odin. That was probably why the guards and every other Asgardian bowed their heads to him with respect...they saw him as a potential future King of the Nine realms.

As flattering as that sounded, Spidey wasn't sure about taking on such an important role. Only a certain number of people possessed the right qualities to be a leader and he didn't believe any of those qualities existed within him.

"I wonder..." Peter murmured, gazing at Mjolnir. "Why did you deem me worthy?"

As he expected, there was no verbal answer from the hammer...but lightning did sparkle around it.

The young Spider stared at Mjolnir for a long time before he finally set the hammer down. Hopefully, that little light show was meant to be something good. Peter removed his shirt and shoes and laid down on the bed. His Asgardian warrior's outfit was on the table, having already been cleaned while they were all eating dinner. The Uru plates that adorned the sleeveless shirt and the bracers on his web shooters were glistening with a bright silver sheen...someone had taken the time to polish the metal for him.

"Sorry for taking so long, Peter."

"Hm? It's okay. I-" His voice trailed off as he sat up and saw what was in front of him.

With a playful smirk on her face, Maria stood in front of the bed...clad in nothing but a simple black bra and panties. Wanda was behind her, looking a little nervous. She too was almost completely naked. Her breasts were barely being covered by the red bra she was wearing.

"Like what you're seeing?" Hill asked as she climbed onto the bed. She straddled herself on Peter's lap and leaned in close to his face. "Wanda and I planned this for you while Lady Sif was getting us fitted for those dresses we wore earlier."

Maria held Peter's chin and captured his lips with her own for a deep passionate kiss. The young Spider moaned against her mouth as his hands held her waist. Wanda climbed onto the bed and watched, anxiously waiting for her turn to kiss Peter. Hill finally pulled away after a long minute and moved to the side for the young Sokovian woman. Wanda didn't waste any time and her lips practically crashed against Peter's as soon as she laid on top of him.

Her tongue aggressively wrestled with his, eager to taste every inch of his mouth. Her sex was growing wetter by the second as Peter began to grope her bosom. Peter could feel his dick pitching an obvious large tent in his pants. The two youngest Avengers reluctantly broke the kiss before they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Wanda...are you sure?" Spidey asked, thinking of the promise they made to each other.

"I am." She whispered lustfully. "Take me, Peter."

She got off of his lap before Maria moved next to her and they both intensely gazed at Peter. With a seductive grin on their faces, they stripped off their undergarments. Peter's dick was practically trying to burst out of his pants as he admired the beauty of their naked physique. Years of intense regular exercise and field work have developed Hill's body to be very fit and statuesque like Natasha's. Her breasts were admittedly a little smaller than Wanda's but that didn't make her any less sexy.

The Scarlet Witch was very much like a model with the perfect natural curves and with all the training she did with Maria and Natasha, her figure was just as well toned as theirs.

"It isn't fair if we're the only ones naked...you should take your pants off too." Maria coyly suggested.

Peter smirked before he pulled down his pants and boxers. It was going to be a long night.

...

 **\- Doc Ock's death was based on how the Green Goblin killed himself in the first Spider-Man movie of 2002. I got the idea for the whole Peter shooting webbing into Rhino's mouth from one of the recent Spider-Man Marvel comics. There's a whole panel where Peter tricks Rhino into cackling like a maniac and then he covers Rhino's throat** **with his webbing, blocking his airway and making the idiot choke.**

 **\- I hope you enjoyed. Till next time, folks.**


	27. Chapter 27

**\- Action scenes aren't exactly easy to write but give me enough time and I'll be able to plan out an acceptable one. Lemons on the other hand isn't my forte...at all. It took a lot of looking over and rewrites before the one for this chapter felt okay. This is my first attempt at such a intimate scene so if it's not great, I apologize.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

Maria moaned as she sat on top of Peter's face. His tongue was massaging away at the most sensitive parts of her pussy and her climax was quickly approaching. Wanda was bobbing her head up and down rapidly as she sucked Peter's hard dick.

"Oh, fuck!" Maria gasped out, her orgasm about to hit her. "D-don't stop, Peter! I-I'm cumming! Ahhh!"

Her inner fluids squirted like a torrent all over Peter's face. Taking a second to catch her breath, she moved off his face and relaxed herself on one of the pillows.

"You okay?" He asked, licking some of her juices from his lips.

Hill smiled breathlessly and leaned down to kiss Peter. "Y-yeah...that tongue of yours is amazing."

He chuckled before Wanda moved her mouth away from his dick and crawled on top of his body. She pressed her lips against Peter's for a deep loving kiss.

"Peter..." The young Sokovian woman whispered as she pulled back. "I need you."

Peter nodded and flipped her over so Wanda was the one laying down on her back. Gently spreading her legs, he found her pussy soaking wet and in desperate need of his attention. Peter put his dick between the folds of her vagina and rubbed it back and forth.

Wanda trembled out of delight at the tingling sensation her whole body was feeling from her boyfriend's ministrations. "Peter, please!"

"This might hurt a bit." Peter warned before he finally thrusted into her.

The Scarlet Witch bit her lower lip as Peter's cock penetrated her pussy for the first time. Tears began to fall from her eyes, partly from the pain that she'd been warned about. There was a bit of blood leaking from her vagina as a result of her hymen being stretched to its limits. But her tears were mostly out of happiness. She had finally given her virginity to Peter, the man she loved.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking into her eyes with concern.

Wanda smiled. "I'm alright. Keep going."

Peter increased the strength and speed of his thrusts, making her moan even louder as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The young Spider squeezed her firm breasts and licked her left nipple for a few seconds before switching to the other. The overwhelming sense of pleasure her body was feeling from Peter's big dick pounding into her womb and his tongue ravishing her tits nearly sent Wanda over the edge.

"Ah! Yes! Yes!" She cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Your dick feels so good, Peter! Keep fucking my pussy!"

Hearing his girlfriend talk so dirty only made Peter thrust into her even harder. Wanda tightened the inner muscles of her pussy around his cock as she screamed her boyfriend's name over and over again. Every inch of Peter's dick was hitting the smoldering depths of her pussy and when she came for the first time, Wanda gave Peter a hot passionate kiss as her vaginal fluids squirted all over his cock.

Maria pleasured herself with her fingers as she watched the two youngest Avengers make love to each other. She let Wanda go first because this was something the young Sokovian woman had wanted for a while and Hill wasn't going to deny her first time with Peter. As Wanda flipped their positions so that she was on top, Hill dug her fingers deeper into her pussy.

Seeing the young Sokovian woman bounce up and down on their boyfriend's cock made Maria feel even more aroused...she remembered how mesmerized they were when he pulled down his sweats and boxers. Seeing Peter's dick standing fully erected at it's length of ten inches made them both gulp and nearly drool. It was little wonder why Natasha had a smile on her face for most of the day after she and Peter made love the night before.

"Fuck yes!" Wanda yelled as she rode Peter's cock. His fingers were squeezing both of her nipples hard. "P-Peter! You're gonna make me cum again!"

Peter grunted, feeling his own orgasm getting closer. "Ah, I-I'm about to cum too."

Maria only smirked as she continued to rub her vagina...Peter had been fucking Wanda for the last half hour and only now did he feel like cumming for the first time. Peter certainly had a lot of stamina and Hill couldn't wait to find out for herself just how long he could go for.

Spidey sat up and looked at the Scarlet Witch in the eyes. "Should I pull out?"

"No. Please...cum inside me." Wanda breathed out. "It's okay. Maria and I are on the pill."

Peter gripped Wanda's ass and squeezed her cheeks as he put more strength into his thrusts. The sounds of her ass smacking into his thighs echoed throughout the room. Peter's cock slammed into Wanda's pussy once more before her second orgasm hit her with such intensity, it nearly brought her to tears. Peter came inside her shortly after, filling the depths of her pussy with so much of his seed that a fair amount of it flowed out of her sex.

Peter kissed Wanda as she laid down on the bed. Her legs were completely numb at the moment but that didn't dampen the happiness her heart was feeling right now.

"I love you, Peter." The young Sokovian woman whispered with a smile. "...Can we go again later?"

He smiled back. "Of course. You'll have to wait though...it's Maria's turn now."

Wanda nodded and closed her eyes to rest for a bit while Hill hugged Peter from behind and wrapped her hand around his dick. To her delight, Peter's cock was still rock hard despite having just climaxed a few minutes ago.

"Sorry for the wait." He said, grunting as her hand jacked him off. "Are you ready?"

Maria got down on her hands and knees, smirking as she looked back at Peter and wiggled her toned rear sensually. "I've wanted this for a long time. Please...fuck me now."

Peter gripped Maria by her hips and thrusted his dick into her tight pussy, making her cry out of pleasure as she pushed herself back into Peter's hips. He was more than happy to oblige her for as long as she wanted.

...

 _The next morning..._

Wanda and Maria snored quietly as they slept on Peter's chest, having gone to bed only a few hours after their long night of making love to each other. The young Spider was the first to wake up and a smile graced his face when he saw them sleeping so peacefully. Maria woke up not long after and saw Peter looking at her with a warm smile.

"Hey, handsome." She whispered, tilting her head up to kiss Peter. "Sleep well?"

"Of course. You?"

Maria nodded as she laid back down on Peter's chest. "Best night of sleep I've had in years. My legs are still kind of numb...although considering what you did to us last night, I'm not surprised."

"Heh. Uh, sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's not a bad thing...Wanda and I might have a little trouble walking today but we can handle it."

Both of them chuckled at that as they relaxed in silence for a few moments. It wouldn't be long before Thor or Lady Sif came to get them for their respective lessons. The Scarlet Witch was still sleeping and Peter caressed the side of her face with one hand while running his other hand through Maria's hair.

As expected, someone soon knocked on their door from the other side. Peter left the bed and quickly put his pants on before he went to answer the door while Maria woke up Wanda.

"Good morning, young Parker." Thor greeted with a cheerful grin.

"Morning, Thor. You're here early."

"I thought it best to begin our lessons early. Is Lady Wanda and Lady Hill awake yet? Sif will be here soon."

"We're awake, Thor." Maria called out from the bathroom. "Wanda and I are just getting ready."

Beside her, the young Sokovian woman was glaring at Hill out of mild annoyance as she washed her face. She had been sleeping very comfortably when Maria suddenly woke her up at such an early hour.

"Shall we go then?" The God of thunder asked.

Peter nodded. "Yeah, let me just brush my teeth real quick and then we'll head out."

Thor closed the door and waited outside while the young Spider went to the bathroom. Peter quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face before he stepped back into the bedroom. Putting on his Asgardian sleeveless vest, Peter held out his arm and Mjolnir came rushing into his hand. Wanda and Maria were almost done getting dressed.

"I'll meet up with you two later then." He said, putting on his boots.

Wanda nodded before she pressed her lips against Peter's. "Of course. Good luck with learning how to use Mjolnir."

Hill gave Peter a quick kiss too before he left the room. Thor was still waiting outside and led the way when he saw Spidey with his hammer in hand. When they walked past the dining hall, both of their stomachs growled loudly out of hunger as the scent of all the breakfast dishes met their noses.

"We're not going to eat breakfast, Thor?"

The God of thunder shook his head. "We will...but I thought it would be good to build up our appetites first."

Peter couldn't argue with that as they approached a small clearing just a small distance away from the palace. There was no one else around and aside from a few birds chirping away, the place was very quiet. Straw practice dummies were already set up against the wall.

"Before we begin, there's something I'd like to know." Thor looked at Peter with curious blue eyes. "What exactly is the nature of your relationship with Lady Wanda and Lady Maria?"

Spidey took a deep breath as he set Mjolnir down on a table. He already knew the God of thunder was going to ask that sooner or later.

"Well, it's kind of complicated but..."

Peter explained how he was dating not only Wanda and Maria but also Natasha and Darcy too. Thor listened carefully as he described their special relationship and how it came to be. While it was still surprising to him at times, they were all happy with it for the most part. When he finished explaining all the details, the God of thunder was silent for a few seconds with an unreadable look on his face.

"...I'm impressed, young Parker." Thor finally said, chuckling. "Very few are able to capture the hearts of four beautiful maidens like you have. Fandral would be quite proud."

Spidey raised an eyebrow. "You're not weirded out by this?"

"Not at all. In Asgard, it is not uncommon for some of my people to take on many lovers. My father had many relationships when he was younger before he finally settled with my mother and I myself have had many lovers over the centuries. These days, I'm too busy to focus on such things but we do not look down on those who are in such a unique relationship like yours."

Thor placed his hand on Peter's shoulder. "It does my heart good to hear you and your beloved ones are happy together. I wish you all nothing but the best.

The young Spider smiled. "Thanks, Thor."

"Of course. Now then, it's time to show you how to cast lightning with Mjolnir."

The God of thunder summoned Mjolnir and the hammer came rushing into the hand of it's usual wielder. Peter took a few steps back and watched Thor carefully as he raised Mjolnir to the sky. Dark clouds formed in the air before blue bolts of lightning struck down on the hammer from above.

"Summon the lightning with Mjolnir and channel the energy through the hammer." Thor instructed. "Once it's been sufficiently charged, just unleash the lightning to strike at your target."

Thor pointed Mjolnir at one of the dummies and unleashed a bolt of lightning. The lightning blast struck the dummy where the head would be and completely blasted it off, setting the straw on fire.

"I may have put a bit too much power in that one..." The God of thunder muttered before he held out Mjolnir for Peter to take. "Here. Now you try."

Spider-Man grabbed the hammer and raised Mjolnir to the sky. Once again, lightning shot down to the hammer from the dark clouds above. Peter concentrated for a moment before he finally unleashed a huge bolt of thunder at one of the dummies. While Thor was able to control his power enough so the lightning only blasted a hole through the head of his dummy, Peter ended up destroying the target completely by accident...reducing it to nothing but ashes. He had only meant to hit the head like Thor did.

"Holy shit!"

Thor barked out a loud laugh as he patted Spidey on the back. "Nice work, young Parker. If the situation ever calls for it, you'll be able to obliterate your enemy without any problems."

Peter sheepishly chuckled. "Heh...maybe I should practice a bit more."

"We still have a lot of time. Go ahead and try it again."

...

"Now maintain your focus and channel your power to speed up the healing process of the wound."

The Scarlet Witch nodded before she placed her hands over the small cut on Sif's finger and concentrated as best as she could. Tendrils of red energy began to wrap around the cut and closed the wound by seemingly stitching itself around it. The young Sokovian woman didn't let up until the last of Sif's wound was finally sealed, her finger now looking as if it had never been cut to begin with.

Sif took a closer look at her finger before she smiled. "Very well done. I've shown you the basics of how healing magic works only an hour ago but it seems you've already managed to get the hang of it."

"It's only thanks to your careful instructions, Lady Sif." Wanda wiped away some sweat off her head. "But I know I still have a long way to go before I can use healing magic in a greater capacity."

"Everyone begins somewhere, Wanda. As long as you continue to practice, I'm certain you will be a great healer in time." Lady Sif said encouragingly.

The young Sokovian woman smiled gratefully before she glanced at Maria, who was quietly reading away one of the many books their instructor had brought for her. Hill proved to be a natural when it came to learning new languages. Not long after Lady Sif taught her the Asgardian alphabet, Maria was able to work out how to read some of the sentences in the first book she picked up.

"Let us take a break for now." Lady Sif suggested. "You've been working hard for quite a while."

Wanda nodded and joined the Asgardian woman as she began to partake in on some of the water they had brought with them. The Scarlet Witch poured a cup of water for Maria, who quickly thanked her before she took a sip.

"So how fares your world as of late?" Sif asked.

Hill thought carefully for a moment. "It's the same as ever. For the most part, Earth is safe but there's always some idiot lunatic every now and then who believes the world owes them just because something misfortunate happened to them. They then try to take over or destroy the Earth...but the Avengers have always been able to stop them so far."

"It sounds like you're describing Loki. We all know about what he did to Midgard a few years ago. Odin had him imprisoned for his crimes but he has long since passed away."

"What?" Maria looked shocked. "How was he killed?"

"...Loki sacrificed himself to save Thor from a Dark Elf." The Asgardian woman stated.

Hill wasn't expecting to hear that. Loki detested his brother or at least that's how Thor always explained their relationship to be. It was odd to learn that the God of Mischief had actually saved his brother's life at the expense of his own.

Sif could see the look of confusion on her face. "I know. We were all just as surprised when Thor told us what happened. Even now, none of us know why he did so. I may have a theory but..."

"What is it?" Wanda asked. Unlike Lady Sif or Maria, she never met Loki in any way and so her knowledge of the Asgardian God of Mischief was very limited.

"I believe he was both enraged and saddened to hear about the death of his mother, Lady Frigga...even if he didn't openly show it. Loki was willing to work with Thor to get vengeance on the Dark elves in her name."

Maria was reluctant to ask her next question. "What happened to Frigga?"

Lady Sif had a sad look on her face. "Our queen dueled the leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith, to defend Jane Foster. She actually defeated him but...one of Malekith's men, Kurse, impaled her in the back."

"...I'm sorry to hear that." Hill said respectfully. "It would've been an honor to meet her."

"Thank you. I have a feeling Lady Frigga would've been happy to meet you all as well."

A hand suddenly gripped Sif's shoulder, startling her for a moment before she pulled out a knife from beneath her sleeve and held it against the individual's neck. Her eyes widened when she saw Thor behind her...grinning as he pushed the edge of her blade away from his throat.

"Nice to see your reflexes are as sharp as ever." He joked. Beside him stood the young Spider, looking both amazed and a little terrified at what just happened.

Sif rolled her eyes. "You should know better than to sneak up on me like that. Good morning, Peter."

Spidey bowed his head a little. "Good morning, Lady Sif."

"...What happened to your face?"

There was a bit of black soot or ash covering his cheeks. Thor had some on his face too.

"Thor was showing me what would happen if he unleashed his lightning with Mjolnir at full power and uh...he may have accidentally destroyed a good chunk of the wall. Thor and I forgot that we were standing too close and got caught in the blast a little."

"...Really, Thor?" Sif asked with a hint of frustration. "How could you forget to tell Peter to take a few steps back?"

The intense glare she was giving him nearly made the God of thunder shudder...it reminded him of his mother whenever she used to reprimand him for getting into trouble.

Thor sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I-it slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

Wanda and Maria chuckled out of amusement at the scene before them as they stood beside Peter. The way Lady Sif and Thor were speaking to each other right now resembled that of a bickering couple.

"You should be more careful next time." The Asgardian woman scolded before she used her sleeve to wipe away some of the dirt from Peter's face. "Are you alright?"

Spidey nodded. "I'm okay. Thank you."

Sif smiled warmly as she checked his face for any injuries. "You're welcome, Peter. Next time Thor trains you in the use of Mjolnir, you let me know so I can make sure he doesn't do anything overboard."

From the side, the God of thunder was amazed by how quick the look on Lady Sif's face changed from exasperation at his actions to one of genuine concern once she saw young Parker. It was good to see her being so mindful of his wellbeing though.

"Let us eat breakfast before we continue the tour from yesterday." Thor said. "There is much more of our fair city that you all have yet to see."

...

Their tour of the rest of Asgard took up the whole morning. When they finished, Thor told them he would take them to see some of the other friendly realms in the next couple of days. Now they were back at the palace...walking down a seemingly never ending set of stairs.

"Normally, Odin doesn't let anyone near the treasure vault." The God of thunder murmured. "But I trust you all enough to know you won't tell anyone about the relics stored here."

Thor pushed the metal doors that led into the vault room open and let them in to see the various powerful relics stored inside. There was a golden gauntlet and a large pit of fire on one side while the other held a glowing blue box with strange black markings etched all over it. Behind it was something that Maria easily recognized.

"The Tesseract..." She muttered, picking up the bright blue cube. "I never thought I'd see this again."

"My father has kept the Tesseract safely stored here ever since I brought it back with Loki after our battle in New York."

Maria tossed the cube up and down for a moment before she placed it back on the stand. She was glad the God of thunder had taken the tesseract away from Earth. When Nick Fury let Thor take it and Loki back to Asgard, the World Council wasn't exactly pleased to hear that. But if they had kept the damn thing, it would've invited no end of trouble to Earth from beings far beyond their capabilities to deal with.

Wanda was curiously looking at the glowing blue box. When she placed her fingers on top of it, it felt like pure ice to her touch and the young Sokovian quickly removed her hand before it could freeze.

"Be careful. That is the Casket of Ancient Winters...it is the very source of the Jotun's power." Thor warned as he walked over.

"Jotuns?"

"The Frost Giants. They are from Jotunheim and very dangerous foes of Asgard. Without this, their ability to wield the element of ice is thankfully limited."

Lady Sif made her way over to Peter, who was staring at the large pit of fire burning away beside the tesseract. He wondered why this was locked away in the vault...it didn't appear to be dangerous or wieldable.

"I see you've found the Eternal Flame." Sif said.

Peter looked at her questionably. "The Eternal Flame? What does it do exactly?"

"It holds the true power of the demon from Muspelheim, Surtur." The Asgardian woman explained as she moved her hand over the fire. Surprisingly, the flames didn't seem to burn her at all. "If Surtur ever regained the Eternal Flame, his true might would be restored and he'd be able to unleash Ragnarok on Asgard."

"Ragnarok...the prophesied end of Asgard, right?"

"You know about it?"

Peter nodded. When he was a kid, he used to read books about ancient Greek and Norse mythology. "On Earth, there are books about the Norse myths your people inspired. I've read a few of them when I was younger."

Sif looked amused. "I imagine there's some discrepancies between those books and what truly happened."

"Yeah, I wouldn't doubt that. Maybe you could tell us the actual version of some of those stories?"

"If you'd like. Though I warn you, I'm not the best story teller."

The young Spider patted her on the back. "If I could entertain you all with the boring tales of my past battles yesterday, I'm certain you'll do more than fine."

Sif smiled and ruffled Peter's hair. "Your stories were anything but boring. Thank you though...I'll make time to tell you all the true versions of what your people call the Norse myths."

"What's this now?" Thor asked, coming up behind them.

"Nothing much. Lady Sif was just offering to clarify some misconstrued legends of a few hundred years."

The God of thunder gave Sif a funny look. "I've never known you to be the one to tell stories. That's usually Volstagg's area of expertise."

"Well, there's still a lot you don't know about me." Sif said with a teasing smirk. "Despite the centuries that we've known each other."

Lady Sif threw her arm around Peter's shoulders and exited the vault room. Thor just chuckled and shook his head before he motioned for Wanda and Maria to follow. They made their way to the lounge, where Sif and the Warriors Three often met to relax after a long day. Sitting on the big comfy chair was Volstagg and his family, listening attentively as the portly man regaled them with a tale of his past adventures.

"Welcome back, my friends!" He greeted when they entered. "Allow me to introduce you all to my family. This is my beloved wife, Erika."

A middle aged blonde woman politely bowed her head in greeting with a warm smile. Peter and the others gave her a friendly wave. Two of their daughters hid behind their mother while their youngest was still sitting on her father's lap.

"These are my precious daughters. My eldest and middle child, Maia and Frida."

"H-hello." They said nervously.

The Scarlet Witch kneeled in front of them and shook their hands. "It's nice to meet you two. My name is Wanda and this is Maria."

"Hi." Hill said with a friendly smile. She wasn't used to being around children so this felt a little awkward for her.

Volstagg stood up with his youngest daughter in his arms. "And this is my youngest child, Astrid."

Like her sisters, Astrid looked adorably timid as she waved at Spider-Man. Peter grinned and gave a dramatic bow.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Astrid."

The little girl giggled when he kissed the back of her hand. Volstagg just smiled at his daughter's laughter before he looked to Peter.

"I hate to trouble you, Man of Spiders...but could you and your friends help my wife watch over the little ones for a while? It would only be until Thor and I get back from the other realms."

"To patrol, I would assume?" Maria guessed.

Thor nodded. "Indeed. Odin told me last night of the increased chaos happening all over the nine realms. I intend to investigate the other realms while Volstagg will go with Fandral to Vanaheim to make sure nothing gets out of hand."

Peter looked to Wanda and Hill for a moment before they nodded. "We can help watch your kids. Just be careful out there."

"Of course." Volstagg said as he grabbed his battle axe. "My thanks for your help. We shall return as soon as we're able."

The portly man stopped to give his wife a kiss before he and Thor left. Peter and the others were left with Erika and her children, wondering about what they could do to pass the next few hours. Lady Sif suddenly got an idea and leaned into Spidey's ear.

"Perhaps now is the time to clarify some of those myths we spoke of earlier." The Asgardian woman whispered before she opened her arms and smiled. "How about I tell you all a grand tale of our people's legendary adventures?"

The three daughters nodded with excitement before they sat together on the couch with their mother. Peter, Wanda, and Maria took a seat across from them and listened closely as Lady Sif began to tell the story of how Mjolnir, Thor's enchanted hammer, was created.

...

Thor and Volstagg walked side by side to the gateway of the Nine Realms, where Heimdall was diligently standing guard. Fandral was already there waiting for them to arrive, swinging his sword around with a bored look on his face.

"Volstagg! It's about time you got here." He said, sheathing his sabre. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come."

"Of course not. I just wanted to say goodbye to my family first."

Fandral's eyes softened. "I see. Well, let us get our patrol in Vanaheim over with then. The sooner you're back with your family, the better...and I'll be able to return to the side of a wonderful woman who awaits me in my chambers."

"Another one, Fandral? Weren't you with two other women last night?" Thor asked.

His long time friend chuckled. "I believe they're still asleep on my bed. The more the merrier, I always say."

Volstagg and the God of thunder goodheartedly rolled their eyes at Fandral before they turned to the Gatekeeper of Asgard. Heimdall looked at them and bowed his head slightly at Thor.

"Where are you all headed?" He asked.

"Fandral and Volstagg are bound for Vanaheim." Thor said. "And I will be going to Muspelheim."

"Surtur's domain? Whatever for?" Fandral asked.

The God of thunder gripped Mjolnir tightly. "...I wish to have some words with him is all. He has answers that I seek."

Knowing that they were not going to get any further explanations, Volstagg and Fandral prepared themselves as Heimdall embedded his Bifrost sword into the podium. The two warriors gave a salute to Thor before the power of the Bifrost pulled them in.

"Take caution when you're in Muspelheim." Heimdall advised. "Surtur is a very devious and cunning demon."

Thor nodded. "Fear not, Heimdall. I will be as vigilant as I always am."

"That's what I'm afraid of." The Gatekeeper joked.

The God of thunder chuckled as he stepped through the portal. Heimdall waited a moment before he shut off the Bifrost to avoid destroying Muspelheim. His sharp sense of hearing picked up the sound of somebody approaching...which was odd as he wasn't expecting anyone else to be departing Asgard at this time.

"Heimdall." A guard greeted, coming up behind him with a small group of soldiers...who happened to be armed.

The Gatekeeper nodded warily. "How may I be of assistance, soldier?"

"By the order of the Allfather, Heimdall...you are charged with treason for plotting against the throne."

...

 **\- Boy, do I still feel a little awkward about writing the love scene. I hope it was alright. There might be a few more but don't expect too much of it in later chapters.**

 **\- They never told us when Heimdall was charged with treason in Ragnarok. Based on Thor's surprise when he discovered Skurge was the one who discovered the Bifrost, it must've been very recent and unexpected. I just decided to let it happen shortly after Thor leaves to deal with Surtur.**

 **\- I've read that Volstagg was happily married and is the father of three kids but they never revealed what the names of his kids or wife was so I had to make them up with some generic Norse names. One of his daughters was seen in Thor: the Dark World.**


	28. Chapter 28

**\- For the most part, the story will follow the plot of Thor: Ragnarok with a few obvious differences thanks to Peter and the others being in Asgard. Writing this out wasn't easy but I think it turned out okay.**

 **\- Anyone else excited for the rumoured Avengers Project game announcement at E3 2019? Since it's being produced by Square Enix and developed by Crystal Dynamics, the game does seem like it will be at least fun.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

Wanda sighed contently as she laid her head on Peter's shoulder. In her arms was a sleeping Astrid. After Lady Sif finished regaling them with some famous tales of their people, Peter taught Voltstagg's daughters how to play an exciting game of tag and all the chasing they did around the palace wore down their seemingly limitless energy. The other two children were napping on Erika's lap as she talked quietly with Sif and Maria.

A couple of hours have passed since Volstagg and Thor left and they were now just waiting for them to return.

"This is nice." The young Spider whispered, not wanting to wake up the sleeping child by accident.

Wanda nodded before she pecked a kiss on Peter's face. "I know. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time...I'm glad we came to Asgard together."

"Me too. It's going to be hard to leave this place once our vacation is over."

"I know but maybe Thor will invite us to come back again. We should bring Natasha with us next time."

Peter smiled in agreement and hugged her a little closer. The room was comfortably silent. The only other things that could be heard right now was the roar of the fire burning in the fireplace and the quiet chattering from the conversation Maria was having with Lady Sif and Erika.

Wanda thought about the healing magic she learned this morning with Lady Sif...she managed to grasp the basics so far but there was still a long way for her to go before her powers could begin to repair injuries more serious than basic cuts. There was no substitute for hard work and the young Sokovian woman intended to keep practicing with Lady Sif until she could at least heal broken bones.

After a few minutes, a guard suddenly walked into the room and bowed before Lady Sif.

"What is it?" She asked.

"The Allfather has invited all to come watch a play." He informed. "Should you wish to go watch, the play is being held at the city square."

"A play?" Maria gave Sif a confused look. It was a rather odd request from Odin. "What's it called?"

"The tragedy of Loki of Asgard...Odin wishes to honor his fallen son." The guard said before he bowed once more and left to return to his post.

Lady Sif narrowed her eyes. Something didn't seem right here. The last time the Allfather spoke of Loki, it had been with words of condemnation. "...I think I should go and investigate this."

"We'll come with you." Hill looked to Peter and Wanda. The two youngest Avengers nodded before Spidey carried the sleeping Astrid back to her mother.

"I'll take the girls home and put them to bed. Thank you all for your help." Erika said before she gratefully bowed.

Sif smiled and gave her a hug. "Of course, Erika. You're more than welcome to visit us here at anytime."

Erika nodded and left with her daughters, who waved goodbye to all of them before they followed their mother. Lady Sif grabbed her sword and led the way to the city square...she was going to find out why Odin was acting so strangely one way or another.

...

On their way there, Peter and the others stopped before a most unusual sight. Standing in between the staircases that led up to the city square was a silver statue of the God of mischief himself.

"What? When was this built?" Lady Sif asked. Last time she checked, there wasn't any statue here before.

Maria just looked at the statue of Loki with a bit of apprehension. She still remembered all the destruction Loki caused in New York when he invaded with an army of Chitauri a few years ago. The island of Manhattan had nearly been nuked and that was barely averted thanks to Stark. Neither Peter or Wanda have ever seen Loki before so this statue was the closest they'll probably get to meeting him. Spidey couldn't be sure if the makers got his actual features right but the face on the statue looked like a man of shrewdness and trickery. It was even wearing the famous helmet with the bendy horns.

They climbed up the stairs, hearing the audience applauding the actors as they bowed. It seemed like the play had just finished. Thor was surprisingly already there and the God of thunder briefly smiled when he saw them approach. Chained to his back was a strange demonic looking skull of some kind.

Thor gave Odin a nod. "Father.

"Oh shit..." The Allfather cursed quietly before he put down his cup of wine and gestured to the crowd. "My son, Thor, has returned! Greetings, my boy!"

"It's an interesting play. What's it called?"

Odin sat back down on his lounge chair. "The tragedy of Loki of Asgard. The people wanted to commemorate him."

Hearing that little bit made Sif scoff as she and the others moved to the front of the crowd. Thor stepped closer to his father before he unstrapped the skull off his back.

"Indeed they should. I like the statue by the way, a lot better looking than when he was alive at least. A little less weaselly, less greasy maybe."

The Allfather seemed indignant to hear that as his gaze shifted from side to side.

"Do you know what this is?" Thor asked, holding up the demonic skull.

"Oh, The skull of Surtur! That's a formidable weapon."

"Do me a favor. Lock this away in the vault before it becomes a giant monster and destroys the whole planet."

A guard took the skull away from the God of thunder. Odin gave his glass to a nearby servant girl and stood up.

"Thank you, my dear. So it's um, back to Midgard for you, is it?"

"Nope." Thor said, throwing his hammer up and down. He looked at Peter and discretely motioned for him to get behind the Allfather. "You know I've been having this reoccurring dream lately. Every night, I see Asgard falling into ruins."

Odin shrugged as he approached his son. "That's just a silly dream. Signs of an overactive imagination."

The young Spider quietly walked towards them and stopped just behind Odin.

"Possibly...but then I decide to go out there and investigate. And what do I find but the Nine Realms completely in chaos. Enemies of Asgard assembling, plotting our demise all the while you, Odin, the protector of those Nine Realms are sitting there in your bathrobe eating grapes."

"Yes. Well, it is best to respect our neighbor's freedom."

"Of course." Thor said before he tossed his hammer forward. Odin got out of Mjolnir's way as it flew back to his son's hand. "The freedom to be massacred."

"Well, I've been rather busy myself-"

"Watching theatre." His son interrupted with a deadpan look on his face.

"With board meetings and security council meetings."

The God of thunder didn't buy his odd excuses for a second. "You're really going to make me do it?"

"Do what?"

Thor glared at him and threw Mjolnir to the sky. Everyone watched as the hammer rocketed through the air. The God of thunder gestured for Peter to step closer before he stood behind Odin.

"You know that nothing will stop Mjolnir as it returns to my hand." Thor warned as he grabbed Odin by the back of his robe and held him in place. "...Not even your face."

The guards all pointed their spears at Thor while the crowd just gasped at what was going on. Maria's hand was touching the gun hidden in her jacket. Sif stood ready to raise her sword.

"You've gone quite mad!" Odin yelled, clearly panicking. "You'll be executed for this!"

"Then I'll see you on the other side...brother." Thor deadpanned. As Mjolnir came rushing back, he signaled for Peter to get ready with a nod.

"All right, I yield!" Odin yelled with an entirely different voice before he began to glow and shape shifted back into someone the Asgardians never thought they'd see again.

Peter quickly caught Mjolnir just before it could hit the God of mischief in the face. Loki was shocked to see someone else wielding his brother's hammer before he faced Thor and nervously chuckled. A bald Asgardian suddenly came bursting in from the crowd, his blue armour covered in strange green fluids.

"Behold!" He announced, a bit out of breath. "Thor Odinson-"

Loki snapped his fingers as he shook his head. "No. No, you had one job."

Skurge tried to explain himself but was cut off when Thor spoke to his brother. "Where's Odin?"

"You just couldn't stay away, could you?" Loki accused. "Everything was fine without you. Asgard was prospering. You've ruined everything. Ask them-"

Thor stepped towards his brother menacingly. "Where's father? Did you kill him?"

"You got what you wanted. You got the independence you asked for." Loki said, panicking as his feet retreated hastily until he collapsed backwards onto the chair.

Before the God of mischief could blink, Sif suddenly held her sword against his throat while Maria pressed the barrel of her gun to the back of his head. Peter and Wanda stood behind them, ready to act in case Loki tried anything.

"Answer the question before I slit your throat open." Lady Sif warned. "Where is the Allfather?"

Loki just gave a look of defiance until Thor pressed Mjolnir against his chest. "All right, all right...I know where he is."

"Show me." The God of thunder ordered before he turned to his long time friend. "Lady Sif, you're in charge until we get back. Try to see if you can find Heimdall. This idiot had him charged with treason."

The Asgardian woman reluctantly withdrew her blade. "Understood."

"I'll come back as soon as we get my father back." Thor said, looking at Peter and the others. "Feel free to return to your quarters and rest if you'd like. Once everything is sorted out, we'll let you know."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Wanda asked.

"No, I think we got this under control. I appreciate your offered assistance though."

The young Sokovian woman nodded as Thor grabbed his brother. Loki looked at Hill for a moment and sneered.

"You didn't really think your little toy could actually kill me, did you?"

Maria only smirked in response. "Kill you? No...but I'm willing to bet getting a hole blown in your head will still hurt like hell."

...

 _Back on Earth..._

Black Widow couldn't believe just how bad things have gotten in the past few days. Neither Stark nor Steve were able to reconcile their conflicting opinions over the Sokovia Accords and now the team was forced to fight amongst themselves because of what Barnes was suspected to have done in Vienna. A car bomb had gone off just as King T'Chaka was addressing the UN and he was one of the many unfortunate casualties. The entire world believed the Winter Soldier to be the one responsible...despite the lack of strong evidence to back it up.

That government dog, Ross, didn't waste any time in taking advantage of his newfound authority and immediately declared him, Falcon, and Captain America to be war criminals. At first, he had wanted to send in a squad of special ops to apprehend them...or kill them if needed but Tony managed to convince him to let his team bring in Barnes and Rogers instead. Steve wasn't exactly willing to stand down though and hearing what he said before their skirmish in the airport began made her wonder if they were actually doing the right thing.

Besides the former Winter Solder, there was a new ally on Captain America's side that she'd never seen before. He seemed to be able to shrink and grow at will or at least that's what she assumed after her brief scuffle against him. On their own side stood the new Wakandan King himself, T'Challa or Black Panther. It was only because of his desire to hunt down Barnes that she managed to convince him to join forces with Tony.

As the two sides stared each other down across the airport grounds, Natasha's thoughts drifted to Peter and the others. Hopefully, they were alright in Asgard. She made a mental note to find them before Ross could get to them first once they got back.

...

 _The palace in Asgard..._

Maria sat on the bed with her arms folded, her mind deep in thought. Loki had been alive all this time and the Asgardians never caught on to it until just now. From what Thor mentioned earlier, it didn't seem like Asgard had any serious problems despite his inability to properly rule. The Nine realms surrounding Asgard was a different story though...all the disorder and chaos happening there would explain why the Asgardians had increased their patrols.

As it turns out, Loki had Odin sent to Earth somewhere after he casted a spell on him. Thor had his brother take him to his location so they could bring him back to Asgard. Lady Sif was busy trying to find Heimdall after he had been forced to flee from Loki.

"You okay?" Wanda asked as she took a seat beside her.

Hill nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. I'm not happy that Loki's here but with Thor and Lady Sif keeping a close eye on him, I'm not too worried."

"Loki...he's a lot shorter than I expected him to be. With all the stories I've heard from Natasha, I thought Loki would look more dangerous but he reminds me of a weasel."

Maria chuckled. "That's actually a fairly accurate description but I wouldn't underestimate him. As much as I hate to admit it, Loki's good at manipulating people without giving it away."

Peter was tinkering with his web shooters on the couch when his Spider sense suddenly warned him of something. Never before has his Spider sense felt so intense and it actually hurt his head a little. Whatever it was warning him about, the danger seemed to be coming from the entrance to the Bifrost. Maria saw the look of alarm on Peter's face and she raced over to his side.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Hill asked. The young Sokovian woman came over with a similar look of concern on her face.

"I don't know...but there's something dangerous coming from the Bifrost bridge."

Slapping the web shooters onto his wrists, Peter pressed the Spider emblem on his bracers. The nanites formed the upgraded suit all over his body and his mask materialized all around his head. Wanda quickly put on her Scarlet coat while Maria grabbed her bag and pulled out a pair of firearms.

"Peter and I will go check it out." The Scarlet Witch said. "You should go and let Lady Sif know something's happened."

Hill didn't like the idea of leaving the two youngest Avengers to investigate on their own but then she remembered they were much more powerful than anyone realized.

"Okay. I'll go warn Sif. You two be careful."

The two smiled before Wanda wrapped her arms around Peter and he web swinged away from the balcony. Maria holstered her guns before she ran off to find Lady Sif. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary as they swung over the rainbow bridge...but when the two youngest Avengers finally landed in front of the gateway, what they found there made their eyes widen out of horror.

Volstagg and Fandral laid dead on the ground, impaled by numerous swords in their chest. Wanda covered her mouth in shock as she tried not to scream. Peter ran over to Fandral's side first and tried to search for a pulse...only to find none.

"Karen? Any life signs?"

The AI scanned Fandral's body for a moment. "Vitals are nonfunctional. I'm sorry, Peter...he's dead."

"Damn it!" Spider-Man punched the ground out of frustration, putting a small dent on the floor.

The young Sokovian woman knelt down and respectfully closed the Asgardian's lifeless eyes. Who or what could've killed him like this? Peter moved to Volstagg and asked Karen to check for his vital signs. The seconds seemed to go by slowly as he waited for the A.I. to finish her scans...he desperately hoped the man was still fighting to stay alive. Neither Wanda or himself wanted to have to tell his loving family that he was dead.

 _"I've got a pulse!"_ His A.I. finally said, sounding cheerful. _"It's weak but if we treat Volstagg's injuries now, he might survive."_

Volstagg's eyes opened and he weakly grasped onto Peter's arm. "M-man of Spiders?"

"It's me. Hold on...we're gonna get you help."

He frantically shook his head. "N-no! Y-you have to stop her. Stop her before she gets to the city."

"Stop who?" Peter asked, looking confused.

"H-Hela..." Volstagg managed to whisper before he passed out.

"Volstagg!"

 _"He's fallen unconscious."_ Karen informed. _"We have to seal his wounds now before he loses any more blood."_

"I'll stay here and heal his injuries." The Scarlet Witch said. She didn't know if her powers were able to repair wounds of this magnitude yet but not trying would only end in Volstagg's death. "You should go. Try and stop this Hela before she kills anyone else."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll catch up with you once I've got him stabilized."

"Alright." Spidey stood back up. "Good luck...and be careful. We don't know if this Hela is the only enemy."

Wanda nodded before she stood up and quickly kissed Peter. "Stay safe, okay?"

Peter smiled and gave her a salute as his mask materialized around his face. Firing a web line, he quickly swung back to the city to look for this Hela individual. His HUD picked up an incoming call from Maria and Karen quickly answered it for him.

 _"Peter? Are you and Wanda alright?"_

"We're fine. Is Lady Sif with you?" He asked.

 _"She's right beside me. Why?"_

Peter landed on the side of a wall and swiftly leapt off again. "See if you can get her to send some doctors to the Bifrost gateway. We found Volstagg seriously wounded and Wanda is doing all she can to stabilize his condition right now."

On their end, Lady Sif tapped Hill on the shoulder and pointed to her communicator. She overheard everything and had already dispatched a guard to fetch some healers. Maria nodded and pulled the communicator from her ear before she passed it to the Asgardian woman.

 _"Peter? This is Sif. Healers are on their way to Lady Wanda's position. What's going on? Hogun sent word earlier that some unknown invader has made their presence known at the city plaza. He's gathered our whole army there to stop this threat."_

"I have no idea. When Wanda and I got to Volstagg, he only told us to stop Hela before he passed out."

 _"Hela?"_ Lady Sif repeated. _"I've never heard of this name before...where are you now?"_

"On my way to Hogun to give him some backup. There's something else you should know."

 _"What is it?"_

Peter sighed before he gently gave the news. "...Fandral's gone. By the time Wanda and I got there, he was already dead."

Sif grew quiet as she closed her eyes at the news of her long time friend's death. Hill lowered her head out of respect...she never liked the man's flirtatious personality but he certainly didn't deserve to be killed off.

 _"I see..."_ The Asgardian woman muttered, shaking her head. _"What a loss."_

"I'm sorry."

Lady Sif tightened her grip on the handle of her blade. _"We'll mourn him later. Right now, we should head to the city plaza and confront this Hela."_

"Understood. I'm almost there."

Sif gave the communicator back to Hill. " _Peter, don't engage Hela until we get there."_

"Don't worry, I won't." Spidey said as the city plaza came into view. "I'll see you guys there."

...

"Whoever you are, whatever you've done, surrender now. Or we will show you no mercy."

"Whoever I am? Did you not hear a word I said?!"

Hogun didn't seem to care. "This is your last warning!"

For a second, the woman dressed in green and black actually seemed saddened. "...I thought you'd be happy to see me."

The man from Vanaheim ran out of patience and unleashed his spiked mace. Advancing towards the unknown woman, the Asgardian soldiers followed his lead and marched towards her. Hela just sighed out of annoyance before she ran her hands over her hair. A helmet adorned with numerous spikes soon covered her head.

"Fine." She growled, summoning a pair of blades with her hands.

Hela threw the knives at Hogun, who was leading the charge. He used his spike flail to deflect both of them to the ground before he swung at the Goddess of death. She ducked beneath his hasty swing and delivered a powerful kick to his face, sending him flying backwards as he crashed into a wall. The Asgardians launched themselves at Hela with their spears out. Hela shot a barrage of blades at the first wave, impaling them all before she jumped over their falling bodies. The soldiers continued to charge at her in waves...but to no avail as Hela killed each one who came close to her with a stab to the head or a thrown sword to the chest.

The airships in the sky tried to cover the men on the ground with heavy fire but all their ordnance only bounced off of her harmlessly. Hela fired numerous spears their way, hitting the ships and damaging them severely as they fell out of the sky. She caught one of the Asgardians by the throat as he tried to sneak up on her and snapped his neck without any effort. An Asgardian managed to stab her with a spear from behind...but it didn't even slow her down. The Goddess of death quickly thrusted a knife into his head before she threw his corpse aside.

In a matter of minutes, Hela had destroyed the Asgardian army without any visible effort on her part. All that was left of the once glorious Asgardian Legion was a small group of men...still willing to fight the Goddess of death despite all the damage she caused just now.

"Not going to surrender?" Hela asked them before she heard someone approach from behind.

To her mild surprise, it was Hogun...heavily wounded but still breathing. "Oh, look. Still alive."

Hogun panted heavily as he struggled to stand. He was clearly outmatched but he wasn't planning to go down without a fight.

"Change of heart?" She mockingly asked as Skurge walked up behind her.

"Go back to whatever cave you crawled out of." Hogun cursed, grabbing a knife from within his sleeve. "You evil demoness!"

Before he could even take a step, Hela shot a huge spear at Hogun...killing him swiftly as he laid impaled in the air. Skurge could only tremble in fear. Seeing his comrades being killed like this made him sick but he was utterly powerless against Hela. The Goddess of death then looked back to the surviving members of the Asgardian army. She could see it in their eyes...their unwillingness to surrender and while Hela thought them to be foolhardy, there was a small part of her that was a bit impressed at their courage.

"I have no use for men who can't tell when they're beaten. Join your comrades in death."

Hela unleashed another barrage of swords at the defiant Asgardians. They raised their shields in an effort to block the incoming attack...but the strike never came. One of them hesitantly moved his shield to take a look in front and he was surprised to find the blades Hela fired stuck to the ground. The Goddess of death was confused as she and Skurge looked around...someone or something intercepted her swords with what looked like webbing, sticking them to the floor before they could hit the last remnant of the Asgardian Legion.

"Who did that? Show yourself." She demanded.

"You got it!"

Hela turned around just in time for a pair of red boots to hit her in the face, sending her flying backwards into the crashed debris of an Asgardian ship. Skurge looked in front and saw a being dressed in a advanced looking red and blue suit, standing defensively in front of the Asgardian men. On his chest was a Spider emblem glowing with a blue light and the lenses on his mask were glowing too as they seemingly glared his way.

"You guys okay?" Peter asked, looking behind him.

One of the soldiers nodded. "We're alright. Thank you."

"No problem. You guys fall back. I'll hold her off."

"What? No, sir. We can't leave you to fight her alone!" Another protested.

"Don't worry, I'm not alone. Besides, Lady Sif has ordered you guys to retreat and regroup with anyone else who survived. Evacuate the people as fast as you can."

They were reluctant to leave Spidey alone but they had their orders. The men slowly nodded and left to do as they were told. Peter turned back to face Hela, who was just crawling out of the rubble. From the corner of his eye, he could see Hogun's body lifelessly dangling on the spear he'd been impaled with. The young Spider tightened his fists...Lady Sif was not going to be happy about this. He had arrived just as Hela was about to kill the last of the Asgardian army.

Spidey was glad to have been able to save their lives but he cursed the fact that he couldn't have gotten here sooner.

"That was quite an impressive kick. I haven't been hit that hard in a long time. " Hela said, rubbing her sore jaw. "Might I ask who you are? You certainly don't look like an Asgardian."

"The name's Spider-Man. I'm from Earth. You must be Hela, the Goddess of Death."

She looked pleasantly surprised. "Indeed I am. How strange that my own people don't know that but a mortal from Midgard knows my name."

"...Was all this your doing?" He asked, pointing to all the Asgardian corpses laying on the ground.

"Ah yes, I'm afraid so. I had no intention of taking their lives at first but they were too stubborn to accept my leadership and attacked me. Such a waste of good men."

"Where's Thor?"

"My brother? He's dead. As is the other one." Hela said with a non caring shrug. "They were unwilling to kneel before their Queen so I killed them both."

Thor was dead? Impossible...the God of thunder was one of the toughest Avengers. He couldn't have died so easily.

Peter stood ready in a battle stance. "I don't believe you."

Hela smirked as she summoned a sword. "Believe what you will, darling. We don't have to fight, you know...such a powerful Midgardian like yourself is welcome to join my forces. Together, we could conquer all in the known cosmos."

"No thanks. I'm not interested in being a tyrant. Besides, being a leader of that many places sounds like too much work."

"Oh? Such a shame." The Goddess of death said before she charged forward.

Spider-Man leapt forward and shot a round of webbing at her face. The webbing hit Hela in the eyes, blinding her for a moment. Peter took advantage of her momentary pause by punching her across the jaw with his right fist, forcing her to stumble back a few steps. Her fingers finally grasped on to the webbing in her eyes and she tore it off...only to be kicked in the face by Spidey again. The force of his attacks was actually enough to hurt her a little and a bit of excitement began to grow within her heart. Maybe now she would finally get a challenging fight.

Hela fired another barrage of blades at Spider-Man as he swung towards her. Peter ducked his head just in time to narrowly avoid being hit by the incoming swords. He quickly shot a strand of webbing at the hilts of the thrown blades and swung them back at Hela. The Goddess of death was running towards him when his webbing caught her swords in mid-air and she wasn't able to stop herself in time as the two blades sliced into her chest and abdomen. Peter thought Hela would at least be injured from that but when the swords fell out of her body, her wounds healed instantly.

Skurge watched Spider-Man fight Hela from behind a rock. He was amazed that the mortal hadn't been killed yet.

Hela grabbed one of the strands of webbing and pulled the young Spider towards her. Peter kicked down her left fist before he drove a hard knee into her face. The powerful blow made Odin's firstborn grit her teeth out of pain as she grabbed Spider-Man by the neck and slammed him to the ground.

"Agh!"

Hela smirked, holding a sword in front of Peter's neck. "You fight well, Spider-Man. Are you certain you don't want to join me?"

"N-not a chance." Spidey managed to breath out. The grip she had on his throat was insanely strong.

"Such a pity..." The Goddess of death sighed before she raised her sword. "I would've preferred to have kept you alive."

Lady Sif suddenly appeared from behind and stabbed her sword through the neck of Odin's firstborn before she could kill Peter. Pulling Hela off of the young Spider, she threw a hard punch to her face. The Goddess of death was dioriented for a second as she was forced a few steps backwards. Sif ran at her and leapt up before she swung her blade down at Hela's head. The wound she inflicted earlier on her neck healed instantly though and Hela summoned another blade just in time to block Lady Sif's strike.

"Don't you dare touch him!" Sif snarled. "Where's Thor?!"

"Dead." Hela answered before she violently shoved her back. "The throne of Asgard is mine."

Lady Sif tried to thrust her blade through her chest but Hela parried the blow to the left. Sif didn't let up though and kept attacking the Goddess of death with one relentless strike after another. When she tried to stab her again, Hela caught Sif's sword in her hand and held on with a firm grip. Sif tried to pull her sword back but was sent flying backwards when Odin's firstborn drove her left fist into her gut.

Peter leapt up and caught Lady Sif in his arms just before she could hit the stone pillars behind her. When he landed and looked up, Hela was already standing before them...ready to cut them both down with a sword held high in her hands. Hela brought her sword down without hesitation...but something stopped her blade just above their heads.

A strange red light was preventing her sword from descending further. Hela spotted a young woman on the left...whose eyes and hands were glowing with bright red energy. The Scarlet Witch raised her left hand, lifting Hela into the air with her telekinesis. The Goddess of death tried to break out of her hold but the mortal girl's power was stronger than she expected.

"Get away from them." Wanda growled out before she threw a powerful blast of telekinetic energy at the Goddess of death.

The blast hit Hela hard, sending her flying far backwards through the air before she fell to the outskirts of the city below. Wanda's eyes and hands immediately stopped glowing as she tried to catch her breath. It took almost everything she had just to trap the Goddess with her powers...the young Sokovian woman shuddered to think what might've happened had Hela fought at full strength.

Peter's mask folded back into his suit as he knelt beside his girlfriend. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm alright. I should be asking you that." Wanda said, checking the young Spider for any injuries. "She would've killed you both if I hadn't stopped her in time."

"How's Volstagg?"

"Badly injured...but alive. I managed to stop his bleeding long enough for the healers Lady Sif sent to arrive. Maria and some of the guards are moving him to a safe place now."

Peter was relieved to hear that. Lady Sif grabbed her sword before she came back to them.

"Thank you for saving us." The Asgardian woman gave Wanda a grateful nod before she frowned. "...I never thought I'd see Asgard's army defeated like this."

Her eyes lingered on Hogun's body for a while...two of her long time best friends were now dead. She would have to break the news to Hogun's family in Vanaheim, assuming they can get through this first.

"We should leave before Hela comes back. Right now, she's too powerful for any of us to face." She advised.

Peter nodded. "Yeah but where should we go?"

A hooded figure suddenly stepped towards them from out of nowhere. The trio stood ready to fight...until the individual lowered his hood, revealing himself to be none other than Heimdall.

"It is good to see you all again. Come with me...I know a place where we'll be safe for the time being."

...

 **\- I kept Volstagg alive...since it's an AU, I left at least one of the Warriors three alive. He has a family to take care of after all and I thought it'd be nice for Thor to have another friendly face around.**

 **\- Hela's pretty much invincible while she's on Asgard so she can afford to just tank a lot of attacks before she takes down her foe with one powerful move. Peter and Sif can hurt her a little but Wanda right now is the only one who can inflict a good amount of damage to her. That being said, Hela isn't exactly going to make it easy for the Scarlet Witch to get hit by her powers.**

 **\- I hope you liked it. Till next time, everyone.**


	29. Chapter 29

**\- Summer is finally upon us and the best part is that Spider-Man: Far from Home will be released in a month. I'm already excited for the film. E3 2019 is almost here too and I'm hoping there will be some good titles out for next year. Other than Spider-Man by Insomniac and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, there weren't a lot of fun games released last year.**

 **\- Just a heads up, this chapter begins about a week after Hela has taken the throne.**

 **...**

"Stay close to your sister, Amora. We're almost out of the city."

Amora nodded and held Lorelei's hand as they followed their mother. The once bustling streets of Asgard were now eerily silent and devoid of any activity. Ever since Hela took the throne, very few of their people dared to venture outside. Her undead Berserkers now roamed the city...hunting down those who dared to try and sneak out of Asgard.

Of course, they paled in comparison to the giant wolf that was prowling around. Just the sheer size of the creature was enough to make anyone cower before it.

They reached a long forgotten wall of the city and Hilde helped her daughters climb over it first. Once Amora and Lorelei were over, their mother immediately moved to follow...but stopped just as she was on top of the wall when the sound of clinking armor was heard.

"Mother..." Amora whispered, her eyes widening out of horror at what she saw.

A group of four Berserkers came from around the corner. Their sickening glowing green eyes honed in on the Asgardians before they let out a disturbing cry and ran towards them.

"Go!" Hilde screamed. She quickly jumped over and gathered Lorelei into her arms.

Amora ran with her mother through the woods. The Berserkers were hot on their tails, their rusted swords and spears raised over their heads. They did their best to avoid the trees and any debris in their way, running as fast as they can. Hilde jumped over a fallen tree but in her hastiness to continue running, she accidentally tripped over a rock hidden behind it. She did her best to cushion Lorelei from the impact as they fell to the ground. Amora double backed to them and helped her sister up. She tried to help her mother too but Hilde quickly pushed her back.

"Run! Get out of here!" She yelled, seeing the undead soldiers approaching.

Amora and Lorelei frantically shook their heads. "No, we won't leave you!"

"You have to! Go!"

Hilde looked back and froze...one of the undead abominations was already standing over her with a raised sword. Her daughters could only watch in horror as the blade descended down on their mother. Hilde closed her eyes and waited for the killing blow, praying for the Allfathers to protect her daughters.

"Yoink!"

A strand of webbing suddenly came from out of nowhere and pulled the sword out of the zombie's hand before it could strike Hilde.

The Berserker looked up just in time to be struck in the head by a hard kick. Thanks to the long decayed state of the neck, it's head easily snapped off from the blow and the headless body dropped to the ground.

Spider-Man landed on his feet and knelt down beside Hilde. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

"Behind you!"

Peter looked back and saw the remaining three undead Asgardians run towards him. Before they could get close though, a hooded figure leapt down from one of the trees and bisected them all with one swing of his giant sword.

Spider-Man smirked at the hooded figure as he approached them. "You sure took your time."

"Sorry about that." Heimdall said, removing his hood. "I had to make sure there weren't any more coming."

The young Spider nodded before he checked Hilde's leg for any injuries. "Looks like you sprained your left ankle. Think you can stand?"

"...Who are you?" She asked, staring at the masked face before her with a bit of apprehension.

Spider-Man's mask receded back into his suit, revealing a tired but kind young face beneath. Hilde's eldest daughter gasped as she quickly recognized who it was.

"Peter?"

"Hey, Amora." He greeted with a small smile. "I'm glad to see you and your family are alive."

"Amora, you know this young man?"

She nodded. "I do, mother. He's the one who helped me get a fresh batch of bread and fruit last week."

Hilde's eyes widened before she gave Spider-Man an apologetic look. "I see. My apologies, sir Peter. I didn't mean to suspect you."

"No, it's okay. I get it...It's been a troubling week for all of us. Are you able to stand?"

Hilde tried to get up on her feet but felt sharp pain shoot through her left leg as soon as she put pressure on it. "I-I don't think so."

"I'll carry her." Heimdall offered, sheathing the Bifrost sword on his back. "You pick up the little ones."

The Gatekeeper carried the middle aged woman in his arms and led the way to an ancient hidden stronghold. Amora got on Peter's back while Lorelei held herself tight against his chest, understandably frightened from everything that's happened. He could feel the young redhead shaking in his arms.

"Where are we going?" Amora asked.

Peter picked his pace as he followed Heimdall. "Someplace safe."

...

It was a long trek back to the mountains. When they arrived at a large gate, Heimdall set Hilde down for a moment before he pressed a combination of runes on the keystone. The doors slowly opened...and on the other side was hundreds, perhaps thousands of their fellow Asgardians waiting for them. A few of them went out immediately to help Hilde inside. Once everyone was inside, the gates automatically closed. Heimdall informed one of the healers what the extent of Hilde's injuries were.

Peter knelt down so Amora could safely slide off of his back but her younger sister didn't let go of him.

"Lorelei? It's okay...you're safe now. Nothing's gonna happen to you or your family." Spidey whispered soothingly. "I promise."

The little redhead slowly pulled back and looked at Peter. There was still a bit of fear in her green eyes but she managed to give a small nod.

"Thank you for saving us." She said in a quiet voice.

Peter ruffled her hair. "Anytime, Lorelei. Why don't you and Amora go rest with your mother for a bit? I'm sure you're all tired after what happened today."

"...Will you still be here?"

"Of course. Just call out my name if you need me. I won't be far."

Lorelei gave Peter a firm hug before she went to join her mother. A grateful smile was on Amora's face as she hugged Peter too.

"You've saved me again...not only me but my family as well. Thank you."

"Did you expect any less? It's what heroes do after all."

Amora giggled at that before her face turned serious for a moment. "Do you think we'll be able to beat Hela?"

"...I don't know." He said truthfully. The Goddess of death was perhaps the most powerful being they've ever fought against. "But we're going to do everything we can to get Asgard back."

It wasn't exactly the most reassuring thing to hear but it was honest and Amora appreciated him giving a realistic answer. A yawn suddenly escaped her lips, making the blonde girl feel a little embarrassed as she tried to suppress the blush on her face.

Peter chuckled. "Get some rest. You've had a long day."

She nodded and went to go join her sister and mother, who was having her left foot bandaged by another Asgardian. Peter made his way back to the area where he, Maria, and Wanda slept. The Scarlet Witch was in the midst of healing a deep cut on a guard's arm with her powers. She was steadily improving when it came to using her abilities to heal...now she was able to fix major cuts and repair minor fractures in bones. With so many Asgardians needing medical aid, the healers had their hands full and Wanda was doing everything she can to help. Peter had kindly offered the first aid kit from his bag and the young Sokovian woman used it to treat those with minor wounds.

"There you are." Wanda said, the red glow in her hands fading away. "You're all fixed up."

"Thank you, milady." The guard nodded gratefully before he left to see his family.

Peter sat down beside her. "Hey...how are you holding up?"

Wanda gave Peter a loving kiss. "I'm fine. The last of the injured have been tended to by the other healers. How about you?"

"Heimdall and I saved another family who were trying to escape from more of those damn zombies...I may have kicked one of their heads clean off."

"Really?"

"Didn't mean to but I guess they've been rotting for so long, all it takes is a well delivered punch to break them down."

The Scarlet Witch nodded. "Well, that's good to know. I just wish the same could be said for Hela...I've never fought anyone like her before."

"Me neither." Spider-Man muttered before he smirked. "We'll find a way to beat Hela though. We just have to hold out until Thor gets back."

"...You think he'll make it back in time?"

"I do. Thor's not the kind of person to turn his back on his people."

Wanda smiled at the amount of faith Peter had in the God of thunder before she let herself relax for a moment. Peter put his arm around her shoulders as he closed his eyes too. For the last week, they had been working nonstop to help the Asgardians as best as they could. Heimdall and Sif led a lot of hit and run missions to reduce the number of Berserkers under Hela's command and they all joined them on each one. Sometimes they had to go back to the city and scavenge for some much needed supplies...which wasn't so bad as the undead abominations were rather easy to avoid. It was the giant wolf that proved to be a problem.

With her sharp nose, there wasn't a lot of time for the Asgardians to grab what they needed before it detected them by smell. That was why Peter volunteered to do most of the supply runs with a small group...his suit was capable of masking his scent and the fewer people there were, the less chance there was of being caught.

"Where's Maria?"

"She and Lady Sif are somewhere in the back. I think they're trying to determine the best spots to get supplies from."

Peter rose up from his seat. "I should go check on her."

"Okay. I'll get started on dinner. It shouldn't take too long." Wanda said before she went to grab some ingredients.

Spider-Man walked to the back of the stronghold, where Lady Sif and Maria were studying a map of Asgard on a makeshift table. There were numerous circles drawn on the map. The ones coloured in red marked key spots in the city for them to ambush the Berserkers from. The other circles were coloured blue and they highlighted the areas that likely held the supplies the Asgardians needed.

"Hi. I hope I'm not interrupting." Spidey said, approaching them from behind.

Maria shook her head and pecked a kiss on Peter's face. "Of course not. We're just about done."

"Welcome back, Peter." Sif greeted with a nod. "I've heard you and Heimdall brought another family to safety. Well done."

"It was nothing, Lady Sif. Have you decided when we should make another raid for supplies?"

"Tomorrow. I will tell you all the details later...for now, let us relax with our friends."

Peter nodded before he and Hill followed her as she led the way. They returned to the Scarlet Witch, who was stirring away at a steaming pot. Beside her was Volstagg and his family. Their daughters were playing a little game amongst themselves while Erika was applying some healing salve on Volstagg's wounds. The portly man thankfully survived his encounter with Hela but the severity of his wounds would take weeks to recover from. He was stubborn though and had insisted on joining Peter and Heimdall whenever they left the stronghold...only to meekly back down when Lady Sif and his wife gave him a stern scary glare.

Their own food was almost cooked: a simple dinner of fried fish and heated bread. Their family hadn't brought much with them when they were forced to flee but one of the things they did take was a good amount of bread and dried fish.

Volstagg gave a friendly wave when he saw them return. "Good to see you back, Man of Spiders, Lady Maria, and you as well, Sif. You've been working too hard lately."

"With all the chaos that's happened, someone has to take charge."

"True but that doesn't mean you have to shoulder this burden alone. Remember, you have all of us to help you."

Lady Sif gently smiled as she set her blade to the side. "I know. Thank you...so what are we having for dinner?"

"Beef and potato stew." Wanda replied, taking a small taste with her spoon. "It's a simple kind of dish we make on Earth. I know it isn't much but-"

She shook her head. "No, it's perfect. Your stew smells delectable and I can't wait to try it."

The other Asgardians were beginning to eat supper too with their respective friends and families. The bonfires from each little area shone a comfortable warm light throughout the stronghold.

"Excuse me..."

Lady Sif and the others turned around to see Hilde approaching with her daughters. Amora and Lorelei were doing their best to help hold their mother steady while she walked. Spider-Man and Hill immediately got up and helped support Hilde from both sides.

"Ma'am, what are you doing moving around?" He asked. "You should be resting."

"I know but my daughters wanted to come see you. We wondered if it would be alright for us to join you for dinner?"

Lady Sif nodded without hesitation. "Of course. There's plenty to go around. Please make yourself comfortable."

Peter and Maria helped Hilde sit down first before her daughters joined her. Once the stew was ready, the young Sokovian woman handed a bowl to each of them.

Wanda served a portion of stew to everybody, giving a little extra to Amora and Lorelei. Putting a bit into her own bowl, Wanda sat down next to Peter before she began to eat. The rich smooth taste of the beef and potato stew made everyone smile as they happily ate away. Erika offered them some bread from their own dinner. Not wanting to be greedy, Lady Sif and Hill took enough bread for everyone to have a piece before they gave the plate back to Erika.

Peter was the first to finish eating and patted his stomach as he relaxed. "Your beef and potato stew was delicious, Wanda."

"I'm glad you liked it. It's an old recipe my mother taught me."

Lorelei finished her bowl not long after and the little redhead thanked Wanda for the wonderful meal before she moved over next to Spider-Man.

"What's up, Lorelei?"

"Sir Volstagg said you're from Midgard. Is that true?" She asked curiously.

Spidey nodded. "Yeah. Wanda and Maria are from Earth too. Why do you ask?"

"What's it like there?"

He turned to Hilde for a second, who gave him the go ahead with a nod. Lorelei sat down on Peter's lap before he started to talk about how life was in New York. The little redhead listened with excitement as he described some of the technology they had on Earth like cars, TVs, and cellphones. Amora quickly finished eating and climbed onto Peter's lap too, much to the amusement of her mother and the others. Volstagg's kids sat closer so they could hear about Midgard as well. Wanda added her two cents in every now and then. She mentioned some of the food and beverages they had on Earth, which peaked the curiosity of Volstagg. He was particularly interested in the dish called pizza.

"What does it look like?"

"Try to think of a circular flatbread with tomato sauce, cheese, and spices on it." Maria explained, trying her best to describe the pasta meal. "We tend to add things like pepperoni, ham, bacon, or even pineapples as toppings."

Volstagg's mouth nearly watered...despite having just ate dinner. "It sounds tasty. I would like to try this pizza for myself should I get the chance."

"I'm sure you will in time. For now though, you need to sleep." Erika advised her husband. "Your wounds will heal much faster while you rest. It's almost time for the girls to go to bed too."

Sure enough, their daughters were doing their best to keep their eyes open. Their parents wished them a good night before they gathered their children to put them to bed. Amora and Lorelei were already snoozing with their heads resting on Peter's chest.

"I think we should get some rest too." Hilde whispered before she smiled gratefully at Peter. "Thank you for dinner...and for saving our lives."

The young Spider smiled back and stood up with her daughters in his arms. He gently laid Amora and Lorelei down onto an empty makeshift bed, taking care not to wake them by accident. Hilde covered her daughters with a blanket before she laid down and fell fast asleep.

"I'll go check on the guards and make sure they're at their posts. You should all get some rest...it'll be a busy day tomorrow." Sif said quietly before she got up and left.

Peter helped Wanda clean up the bowls and pot while Maria threw in a bit more wood into the fire. Once the two youngest Avengers washed their hands, Peter got into the middle of their bed first before Hill and the young Sokovian woman laid down next to him. The Scarlet Witch used her jacket as a blanket to cover the three of them. Lady Sif had offered them some blankets but they declined...her own people needed it more than they did. Wanda's long coat was more than enough to keep them warm.

"That beef and potato stew was really good, Wanda." Maria whispered. "You should make it again sometime when we get back to Earth."

Wanda smiled as she laid her head on Peter's chest. "I will. First we have to get through this first though...it's only a matter of time before Hela find out where we are."

Peter wrapped his arms around them both. "If that happens, we'll just have to fight her off so the Asgardians can get away."

"You two think you can beat her?" Hill asked.

Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch looked at each other with a bit of uncertainty. Even if they fought Hela without holding back...there was a good chance that wouldn't be enough to put her down. At best, they might be able to hold her off.

"I don't know..." Wanda muttered. "But if we have to fight Hela again, we'll do everything we can."

...

The young Spider woke up a few hours later, feeling fully rested. Everyone else was still asleep though. The only ones that were awake were the guards who had night watch duty. Peter pecked a gentle kiss on Maria's and Wanda's faces before he carefully got up from the bed. Despite wearing his sleeveless Asgardian shirt, it wasn't cold at all. Most of the bonfires had already been put out but there were still a few torches burning along the walls that gave enough light for him to see.

Spidey spotted Heimdall sitting by one of the few bonfires still burning, staring into the flames. He made sure not to bump into anyone by accident as he walked over to him.

"You're up early, Spider-Man." The Gatekeeper looked his way and greeted him with a nod.

Peter sat down beside him. "Yeah, I slept pretty good though so I don't feel tired. How about you? You get any sleep?"

"Enough. I've always been an early riser. One doesn't require much rest when you're tasked with keeping a vigilant watch over all of Asgard."

"I guess so. Any news from Thor?"

"None...but he is alive." Heimdall said. Hearing that gave Spidey a sense of relief. "This universe is vast so it took me some time to locate him. He's currently stuck on a faraway planet with an old friend of his."

"Old friend?"

"I believe your people call him the Hulk."

Peter thought he was joking at first...Thor somehow ended up on a unknown planet with Dr. Banner? Now it made sense why no one was able to locate him for the last two years. You can't really find a guy on Earth if he wasn't even on the planet to begin with. He'd really like to know how the Hulk arrived on such a faraway planet in the first place though.

"Huh...so that's where Dr. Banner's been." He muttered. "You think Thor will be able to find a way back here?"

Heimdall nodded. "I do. Rest assured he is doing everything in his power to return to Asgard. Until then though, we must hold out as best as we can against Hela and her forces."

The young Spider nodded back before he heard what sounded like metal clanging against something. The sound seemed to be coming from the back.

"Heimdall, is someone training in the back?" He asked.

"Lady Sif. She always warms up with a few exercises in the early hours of the morning." The Gatekeeper explained. "It helps her get ready for the day. You should go talk to her...as I understand it, she's taken quite a liking to you."

Peter sheepishly smiled and stood up to go check on Lady Sif. As he was about to head to the back, Heimdall called out to him from behind.

"Young Parker...my deepest gratitude to you and your friends for all that you've done to help us. Our people are in your debt."

He shook his head. "There's no need to thank us, Heimdall. We're just glad to help."

Spidey made his way to the back, where Lady Sif was sitting on a stone block. She had just finished doing her exercises and was now taking a breather. Being held in both of Sif's hands was her sword. The blade looked like it was in the midst of being cleaned as there was water on the metal. When Peter stepped closer though...it turned out Lady Sif wasn't cleaning her sword.

Tears were flowing down from Sif's eyes and dripping on to the metal. The Asgardian woman wasn't sobbing uncontrollably...her expression was full of sorrow but calm as her tears fell. Spidey felt like he was intruding on something private and he turned to leave, only to bump his foot against the wall by accident.

"Peter?"

He winced at his careless mistake. "Sorry...I wasn't trying to spy on you or anything."

Lady Sif shook her head as she wiped her eyes. "It's okay. Come, sit with me."

Peter was a little hesitant but he nodded and took a seat beside her on the stone block. For a while, they just sat together in silence. Lady Sif gazed at her sword while Spider-Man awkwardly looked around the room.

"...I was thinking about them." Sif said softly. "Fandral and Hogun. We'd known each other since we were kids. Fandral had always been a womanizer even when he was younger. His attempted advances on me was always annoying. Hogun was more disciplined than him but there were times when he took things too seriously."

Spidey didn't interrupt and listened to her talk with respect. With everything being so hectic lately, Sif had been forced to set aside her own grief so she could help her people. Now she was taking a moment to properly mourn the loss of her two oldest friends.

"Fandral and Hogun used to frustrate me at times but now...I just miss them."

Peter saw her lower lip quivering and her eyes twitching...Sif was obviously trying to hold herself back from crying in front of him. As a warrior of Asgard, they were taught to keep their emotions in check. Sif never liked it when she had to shed tears though. Doing so reminded her of all the men who doubted her abilities to be a warrior just because they mistakenly believed women were too emotionally weak. When the need came to do so, Sif always made sure she was alone first.

"Lady Sif?" Peter whispered, putting his hand on top of hers. "It's okay. Let it out...trust me, keeping your grief bottled inside will only make it harder to deal with."

When Uncle Ben died, May did her best to hide her pain for his sake. It didn't really work out well though as Peter always heard her sobbing uncontrollably each night after they had gone to bed. After the third night, Peter couldn't bear to hear his aunt grieve alone anymore and he had gone to her room. He hugged May as they mourned the loss of Ben together and cried until exhaustion finally took hold.

It was tough but they managed to heal in the long run because they had each other and right now, Sif simply needed someone to be there for her.

Lady Sif pulled Peter in for a gentle hug and held on as she let her tears flow freely. Her heart had been hurting terribly from the deaths of Fandral and Hogun. Now she was finally letting herself grieve for them. Peter wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close in silence. There weren't really any words that could be said to help comfort her. Just being here for Sif was the best thing he could do at the moment.

"...Thank you, Peter." She whispered, pulling back and giving him a grateful smile.

"Anytime." Spider-Man said before his stomach suddenly growled.

Sif giggled before she helped Peter up to his feet. "Let's get some breakfast. We'll need you at full strength for the supply run today."

"I take it this means I'm going on this mission today?"

"Yes. I'll be going with you. We'll be leading a small group to procure some medical necessities."

Peter nodded and walked beside the Asgardian woman back to the others so they could get some food. Lady Sif gazed at Spider-Man with fond eyes...they only met a few days ago but she already felt so attached to him. No matter what happens out there today, Sif vowed to keep Peter safe.

...

 **\- The Berserkers are technically undead, hence why Peter decides to just call them zombies for convenience. Fenris is too but she doesn't look like a rotting corpse.**

 **\- I hope this was alright. Till next time, everyone.**


	30. Chapter 30

**\- Fenris in the MCU is female. I searched it up before writing the previous chapter and the official sources say she's a female Asgardian wolf albeit a giant one.**

 **\- Just a few more weeks until Spider-Man: Far from Home is out in theatres. I can't wait to go see it. E3 2019 has shown us some awesome games for us to look forward to next year. Halo Infinite and Cyberpunk 2077 are the two games I'll definitely be getting. The Master Chief finally comes back as the main protagonist for the Halo series and it's been too long since I've played as one of my favourite video game characters.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

"The coast is clear. Let's move."

Lady Sif led the way with Erika and Bjorn, one of the soldiers that Spider-Man saved from Hela, following right behind her. Peter himself was climbing alongside one of the buildings just above them. He was tasked with scouting ahead and making sure none of Hela's forces were in the vicinity so their small group could proceed without getting caught. Their target location today was a small healer's building to the west of Asgard. They needed to procure some much needed medical supplies.

Spidey stopped on the roof of an empty house before he had Karen scan the area for any hostiles. Sif and the others held their position in an empty alley. The healer's building was just past this block. Karen finished her scans and picked up a couple of Berserkers patrolling the area ahead. Peter signaled for Lady Sif to remain where they were until the zombies finally moved away.

 _"Okay, they're leaving."_ He spoke into his communicator. _"Move up quietly."_

 _"Understood."_

Sif and the others moved up the street, doubly making sure the Berserkers weren't around before they entered the abandoned healer's building. Inside was an abundance of medicinal herbs, potions, and bandages...the very supplies they were looking for.

"All right, pack everything you can quickly." She ordered. "We have to leave before those damn things find us."

Bjorn and Erika nodded before they grabbed the large bags slung on their backs. The two opened them and put everything they could grab into the bags, taking care not to break the potions that were stored in glass bottles.

Sif activated the communicator she borrowed from Maria. "Peter, I need you to keep an eye out. Let us know if anything approaches...be careful."

"Got it." Spider-Man replied before he turned his attention back to the city below. "Karen? Keep scanning the area. I don't want any bad guys sneaking up on us."

 _"Of course, Peter. Scanning now."_

Spidey kept a close watch on his motion tracker and on the streets below. Everything was cleared for now but all that could change in an instant. The others in the healer's building were halfway done...they just had to grab a few more things.

 _"Peter..."_ Karen said, her voice suddenly sounding a little worried. _"Something just entered the area. Something big."_

His motion trackers picked up something coming in from the left and his eyes darted in that direction. A giant wolf came into view and was steadily approaching the group's position below.

"Uh oh..." Peter breathed out. "Lady Sif, you got a big bad wolf coming in fast."

"What? Are you certain?" Sif asked. She motioned for Erika and Bjorn to stop what they were doing.

"Unfortunately, yeah...The wolf's getting close to where you guys are. It must've picked up one of our scents."

Lady Sif mentally cursed at the bad timing. If they dropped everything and left right now, there was a chance of escaping from the giant wolflike creature. Going back empty handed wasn't an option though...her people desperately needed these medical supplies.

Peter was aware of the predicament and he came up with an idea. Sif wasn't going to like it but there weren't a lot of other options right now.

"Lady Sif, listen to me." He said. "When I say go, you and the others run back to the stronghold with the supplies. I'll distract the wolf and lead it away from you guys."

Sif nearly panicked...there was no way she was going to risk Peter's safety with such a perilous plan. "What?! No, don't. It's too dangerous!"

Spider-Man stood up and prepared himself. "I'll be fine. Get ready to move."

"Peter-!"

"Hey! Over here, lassie!" Peter yelled, jumping off the ledge. He quickly fired a web line and swung over the wolf's head. "Bet you can't catch me!"

Fenris let out a loud roar before she started to chase down the young Spider. Spidey quickly looked back to make sure the hound was following as he lead her away from Sif's position.

"Go now! I'll meet you back at the stronghold!"

Sif growled both out of frustration and worry. "Alright, we're leaving...but you better come back to us safe and sound, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear!" Peter said before he ducked beneath a pole and fired another web line.

"Spider-Man will be alright, Lady Sif." Erika offered as she carefully held the bag of medical supplies. "He's buying us time. We should leave."

She nodded and followed them out of the healer's building, praying for the Allfathers to keep Peter safe. The Asgardian wolf was still chasing Spider-Man with her fangs bared and ready to bite him. She lunged forward on Spidey, attempting to catch him with her mouth but his spider sense warned him in time and he quickly swung higher to get out of the way.

Peter was about to fire another web line when Karen informed of something that nearly made him swear...the area in front didn't have any more buildings or houses for him to swing from. As if the giant wolf chasing him wasn't bad enough, now he would either have to run away from the damn thing on foot or fight her. He was capable of outrunning a car at full sprint but Fenris was a lot faster than that.

"Karen, get the suit ready for combat." Peter ordered. "...We might need to fight our way back."

 _"Understood."_

Spider-Man landed in the middle of the empty area and turned around to face the giant wolf. He stood ready to fight as Karen activated the missile pods hidden within his suit's armored shoulder pads. The micro explosive projectiles were armed and trained on the creature, ready to fire at Peter's command.

"Alright, let's do this." Peter said, bracing himself for a tough battle.

...

Lady Sif and the others ran as fast as they could back to the mountains. Not one of them were able to relax until the large doors of the stronghold opened and they finally stepped inside. The supplies they found was thankfully intact and still in the bags Bjorn and Erika carried.

"Give these to the healers. They'll know what to do with it."

Erika and Bjorn nodded before they left with the supplies in hand to do what Lady Sif ordered. Sif made her way to where Maria and Wanda were at...they were not going to be happy that she came back without Peter. The Scarlet Witch was in the middle of bandaging Hill's arm when they saw her approach.

"Welcome back, Lady Sif." Wanda greeted.

Sif looked at the bandages wrapped on Maria's left arm. "What happened?"

"It's nothing...my arm got cut by some rocks on the ground when I tackled one of the Asgardians out of the way of an incoming blade." Hill explained before she looked behind her. "Where's Peter? I thought he was with you."

Lady Sif gritted her teeth before she reluctantly told them what happened on their mission. To their credit, neither of them panicked but the worry in their hearts grew more and more as they listened to the details.

"We have to help Peter." Wanda said, doing her best to stay calm. "Where is he?"

Maria put her hand on the young Sokovian woman's shoulder. "Relax...Peter's smart. If he really is in trouble, he knows to reach us first for help. The fact that Peter hasn't contacted us yet must mean he's okay for the moment."

"How do you know? He could be seriously hurt right now!"

"...Because it's what Natasha and I trained you both to do. I know you're worried and I am too but have faith in Peter. He knows what he's doing."

Hearing that calmed the anxiety in Wanda's heart a little and she sat back down. She was still understandably worried about Peter but so was Maria...the difference was that she was able to keep her cool enough to think things through.

"I'm sorry. I-"

Hill gently smiled. "It's okay. I understand...it's hard to remain calm when a loved one is in danger."

"It is I who owes you both an apology." Lady Sif muttered. "I shouldn't have left Peter behind."

"It's not your fault." Maria said. "Peter's a bit too self sacrificing at times...he would risk his life over and over again just to save someone."

Sif quietly nodded...it was a noble quality for young Parker to have but also a reckless one. The communicator in her ear suddenly sounded out with a ping, indicating a friendly signal was coming in from somewhere. Lady Sif hesitated for a moment before Maria gave her a nod and she activated the communicator.

 _"Hello? Lady Sif?"_

"Peter?" She called out, almost gasping out of relief. Wanda and Maria stepped closer to Sif when they heard her say his name. "Are you alright? Did you get away?"

There was no reply for a minute, making them worried as Sif tried to get Spider-Man back on the line. "Peter, are you there?"

 _"Hey! Stop sniffing my butt! I'm trying to talk to my friend."_ They heard from the other end and it confused the hell out of them. _"Yeah, I'm here...but we might have a problem."_

"What do you mean?"

...

Peter wasn't sure how to explain this strange situation right now. When the giant wolf finally caught up to him, he had been preparing himself for a tough fight. What he didn't expect was for Fenris to stop in her tracks just before she could step on him...and casually lowered her head as she nudged him with her nose. If that wasn't surprising enough, the wolf suddenly looked happy and she began to nuzzle her giant head against his whole body.

"Uh, nice dog?" Peter had said and hesitated for a second before he petted her head.

The wolf actually seemed to smile at his touch and gave Peter a big lick of affection. The young Spider had never been more thankful for making his suit waterproof...otherwise, he'd be covered in Asgardian wolf saliva right now. How the heck was he going to explain this to Lady Sif and the others?

"Sit." He ordered. The giant wolf immediately did as he told and sat her butt down on the ground.

 _"Peter? Are you still there?"_

Spider-Man turned his attention back to the call from earlier. "Yeah. Don't worry, I'm alright."

 _"Thank the Allfathers you're safe."_ Lady Sif said from the other end, visibly relieved. _"What did you mean earlier when you said there was a problem?"_

"Remember the giant wolf that was chasing me? She might not be as scary as we thought."

 _"I don't understand."_

Peter let out a sigh. "Trust me, I'm having a hard time believing what's happening right now but-"

"Well, this is a surprise. Fenris rarely takes to strangers."

The young Spider froze...he'd recognize that cold feminine voice anywhere. Peter took a deep breath before he turned around. Standing behind him was the Goddess of death herself, looking his way with a hint of bemusement in her eyes. Beside her was Skurge with a black axe in hand and two rifles slung on his back.

"Hello again, Spider-Man." She greeted cordially. "I take it you and your friends are the ones who have been ambushing my Berserkers for the past week?"

"Depends...if I say no, will you let me go?" Peter joked. He kept his comms on so Lady Sif and the others could hear what was happening.

Hela chuckled as she summoned a pair of swords. "You should already know what my answer to that is."

A sigh escaped his lips. "Well, it was worth a shot."

Hela swiftly threw one of her swords at the webslinger as she charged forward. Peter moved his head to the side and caught the blade by the handle before he raised it to block her other sword from cutting down his neck.

"You're clearly outmatched." She said, their blades pressing against each other. "Why bother fighting when it'll end in your inevitable defeat?"

Peter smirked behind the mask. "That doesn't mean I can't try. I'm just full of surprises...like these!"

Four golden metallic Spider legs suddenly sprang from the spider symbol on Spider-Man's back and the sharp ends of each leg pierced Hela in the chest. The Goddess of death was shocked for a second by the sudden attack. Peter took advantage of that and leapt up before he dropkicked her in the face, knocking Hela back a few steps. Not giving Hela a chance to recover, he threw the sword in his hand at her. Hela caught it by the hilt but doing so gave Peter a chance to swing another kick to her head. Odin's firstborn grabbed his leg before his kick could connect and threw him back through the air. Bringing forth more blades, she launched them at Spider-Man.

The metallic Spider legs deflected the blades to the ground harmlessly as Peter landed on his feet. The young Spider stood ready to keep fighting...trying his best to think of a way to beat her or at least get away.

Hela nodded in approval, bringing forth yet another sword. "You are a capable fighter...not even my so-called brothers have held out this long against me. You have my respect, Spider-Man."

"Uh, thank you?" Peter said, sounding confused. He was not expecting to be praised in the middle of a fight.

"I'm almost hesitant to have to do this but..."

His Spider sense suddenly warned him of something dangerous coming from behind and he ducked out of the way of an incoming axe. Skurge cursed as he swung at Spider-Man again.

"I'm sorry." The Asgardian muttered, looking regretful.

Peter looked at Skurge with a bit of confusion before Hela ran up behind him and delivered a hard punch to the back of his head. Spidey fell to the ground and tried to stay awake...but to no avail as his vision blurred until he saw nothing but darkness. Fenris whined with worry, nudging Peter's unconscious body with her nose.

"Don't worry, Fenris. He's alive." Hela reassured the wolf before she turned to her executioner. "Bring Spider-Man back to the palace. There are more questions I'd like to ask him."

...

Lady Sif and the others listened to everything...from the moment Hela had shown up to the end of Peter's brief fight against her. When they heard Hela was taking Peter prisoner, they all had similar reactions. Wanda's eyes were flaring red with anger and worry while Maria and Sif had reached for their respective weapons.

"We have to save Peter." The Scarlet Witch said with a tone that left no room for argument. She was not going to leave her boyfriend in the hands of that evil Goddess.

"I know but we can't just storm into the palace." Sif reminded. She was almost tempted to do just that to save the young Spider. "None of us are a match for Hela and we can't risk the wellbeing of everyone here."

Hill folded her arms. "That doesn't mean we can't just do nothing. Hela might be willing to do anything to get information out of Peter...perhaps even torture."

That sent a chill down their spines...none of them even wanted to think about such a gruesome scenario. As Sif mentioned earlier though, they couldn't drop everything and risk the safety of every Asgardian family here just to save the young Spider. It was too heavy a price and Wanda knew Peter wouldn't be too happy either if they did go through with it.

Lady Sif stood up. "I'll talk to Heimdall...see if we can start the evacuation to the Bifrost gate soon. The faster I can get my people to a safe place, the sooner we can focus on saving Peter."

The Asgardian woman left to find the Gatekeeper, leaving Wanda and Maria alone as they tried to come up with a plan to save their boyfriend. The only thing they could find comfort in so far was the fact that Hela had taken Peter alive. Whether or not she'd leave him that way though was a different matter.

"What are we going to do?" The young Sokovian woman asked, desperately looking to Hill for answers.

Maria placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I don't know...but we'll find a way to save Peter, I promise."

...

When Peter came to a few hours later, the first thing he noticed was the chains wrapped tightly around his body. The second thing was the familiar surrounding...he was back in the palace and someone had taken the time to put him right beside Odin's throne. There was some rubble in front of the throne that looked like it was recently placed there. Spider-Man tried to break out of the chains but the metal links wouldn't budge at all.

"I wouldn't bother. Unless your strength happens to surpass mine, you won't be breaking out of those anytime soon."

Peter looked up and saw Hela approaching with a cold smile on her face. Behind her was Fenris, shrunken down to the size of a normal wolf. She ran up to Spider-Man and began to lick his masked face.

"Whoa! Nice to see you too, girl."

The Goddess of death almost seemed amused by her Asgardian wolf's interaction with Spider-Man as she sat down on her throne. Fenris stopped licking Spidey's masked face after a minute and laid down beside him.

"Fenris likes you...which is rare. She usually can't stand being near strangers." The Goddess of death said. "I must admit you are an intriguing one."

Peter shrugged. "I don't know whether to be flattered or disturbed by that. I take it I'm your prisoner?"

"Of a sort. If you're worried about being tortured, allow me to assure you that won't happen. It's only a matter of time before I find your base of operations so I have no need of such information."

"So why did you bring me here then?"

Hela leaned in closer. "As hard as it is to believe, I brought you here to simply...talk."

She was right. Spidey didn't believe her. "To talk? You knocked me out just to have a conversation."

"Well, you probably would've tried to fight your way out if I had brought you here conscious."

She wasn't wrong about that. "I guess...but why me?"

"If I asked one of my own people, they would only tell me what I wanted to hear." Hela explained, crossing her legs. "You and I are enemies for the moment...and that means the words you speak will be honest."

Peter had no desire to speak with the Goddess of Death but considering he was bound in chains at the moment, there wasn't much choice on his part in the matter. He could still help out Lady Sif and the others in a way though...every minute Hela spent conversing with him meant she wasn't out there hunting down the resistance. It would give more time for the Asgardians in the stronghold to make their escape to the Bifrost gate.

"All right then..." Peter finally said. "What do you wish to talk about?"

...

 **\- The mini missile projectiles in Spider-Man's suit are similar to the ones from Iron Man's armor in the first Avengers movies, where he fired them on the Chitauri as they came down from the portal.**

 **\- I didn't want to include the Spider legs at first...they're too reminiscent of the horrible Superior Spider-Man suit. I relented at the end though and made them more like the Iron Spidey waldoes.**


	31. Chapter 31

**\- Writing Wanda's fight scenes is a little more difficult than Peter's or Sif's. Given the nature of her powers, I get confused sometimes when it comes to describing her attacks. I have a tendency to mix up her telekinetic abilities and her psionic abilities with each other.**

 **\- I don't have much to say so let's just get to the story. Enjoy.**

 **...**

For someone who was called the Goddess of Death, Hela was surprisingly affable. Peter didn't expect her to be some sort of monster or anything but he thought speaking with her would've given him a creepy feeling. Instead, Hela was polite as they talked and even threw in a joke every now and then. She even provided him with a chair so they could speak more comfortably. He was still bound in chains of course. Spidey didn't really get her jokes since most of them were rather...dark to say the least but he chuckled at some of them just to be safe.

Odin's firstborn did most of the talking as she explained to him the real history of Asgard and how the Asgardians came to rule the Nine realms...by way of bloody conquest. It turns out the Allfather hadn't always been a benevolent king. He was once a tyrannical warmonger with Hela acting as his chief weapon. Only when Odin had a sudden change of heart did he stop making war and he banished his firstborn to hell due to her violent personality.

Peter didn't say much in return during their conversation, mostly because he wasn't sure that Hela was telling the truth. He did think Odin imprisoning his daughter in hell was a bit harsh though...even if she was bloodthirsty.

"Tell me something. How is it that you know of me?" Hela asked.

Peter moved his hands around to keep the blood flowing in his limbs. "From the Norse myths the Asgardians inspired on Earth thousands of years ago. There are books written about them and I read a few when I was younger. Your name was mentioned a few times."

"Really? My people consider me a complete stranger despite all I've done for them and yet humans are aware of who I am because of fairy tales. Odin really did do everything he could to erase me from our history."

"...May I ask you a question?"

The Goddess of death nodded. "Go ahead."

Spidey took a deep breath before he spoke. "Why are you doing all of this? You say you came back to lead your people...and yet you just killed hundreds of your fellow Asgardians a week ago."

"To be fair, I killed them because they attacked me first." She reasoned.

"Maybe...but you're stronger than most of your people. You could've just simply incapacitated them."

"And have them come attack me again? I don't think so. They were simply too blind to see the vision I have for our people."

"That vision would be?"

Hela smiled disturbingly. "...Our destined future as the rulers of all the realms in this universe. I am here to restore the supreme unchallenged power Asgard once held."

Peter raised an eyebrow, making the glowing lenses on his mask do the same thing. "That sounds like a lot of work. Let's say you do accomplish that even though we won't let you...what happens next?"

Hela didn't get the meaning of what he was asking. "I don't understand."

"Are you going to be a Queen that guides her people when the fighting is over? I don't think there will be anything left to conquer if you do become ruler of all the realms in the known universe."

The Goddess of death grew quiet as she considered what Spider-Man just said. He brought up an important point...would she be the Queen that her fellow Asgardians needed? She was well experienced in the art of fighting wars but admittedly knew very little about being a leader during times of peace. Her actions thus far have only garnered nothing but fear from her own people and while Hela didn't really care what they thought, them being afraid of her could be problematic while she sat on the throne.

"...I guess we'll know when the time comes." She finally answered.

Maybe Peter was just seeing things but it looked like there was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes when she said that. In a lot of ways, Hela reminded him of Loki or at least the Loki he knew from Thor's stories. Both of them felt they deserved the throne of Asgard. The God of mischief already proved himself to be a harmless but ineffectual King though and while he's never seen Hela rule before, the young Spider had a feeling she lacked the patience to lead her people like the Allfather did.

"I can understand if you're angry about how Odin choosing to act as though you never existed." Peter said, his throat feeling a little dry. It's been a couple of hours since he's had anything to drink. "Based on what you and Thor have told me, Odin didn't exactly seem like he was the best dad ever sometimes."

Hela chuckled. "That's one way of putting it, I suppose."

"...But you can't really blame the Asgardians for not knowing who you are. The Allfather is the one who decided to withhold that information from them."

"True. Dad's never been very good at thinking things through."

Peter didn't know if that was true. He never met the Allfather. "Perhaps. All I'm saying is don't make your own people suffer for Odin's mistake. If you want to be the Queen...maybe try to earn your people's loyalty and love the right way instead of forcing them to follow you."

Hela contemplated that for a moment and was about to respond when Skurge came back to the throne room.

"We're ready for you in the city plaza." He informed.

The Goddess of death nodded. "Good. Go on ahead. I shall meet you there."

Her executioner bowed and began to make his way back to the city plaza. Hela looked at Spider-Man before she waved her hands around. The chains around his body disappeared. His hands and feet were now shackled instead but it was more easier for him to move. Odin's firstborn snapped her fingers this time and a goblet of water appeared in her hand.

"Here, I believe all that talking has made your throat parched." She offered Spidey the cup. "I'm known for many things but being a bad host isn't one of them."

Peter looked at the offered drink for a moment before he nodded in thanks and grabbed the cup.

"Fenris will keep you company while I'm gone. When I return, I would like to continue our conversation." Hela said before she left her throne and made her way down the steps.

She stopped just as her boots touched the red carpet, turning her head back to look at Peter.

"Your suggestion has merit, Spider-Man. I will have to give it some thought."

With that, the Goddess of death finally left. The only ones in the throne room now were Peter and Fenris. The Asgardian wolf moved closer to the young Spider and placed her head on his lap.

"...I don't suppose you're willing to cut me loose from these?" He asked, raising his shackles.

Fenris just gave him a blank look before she laid her head back down on his lap and closed her eyes.

Peter let out a sigh as he petted her head. "Yeah, I thought not. I hope the others are okay."

...

"Everyone, listen up."

All of the Asgardians in the stronghold stopped what they were doing and gathered around Lady Sif. Behind her stood Heimdall, Wanda, and Maria. Volstagg was on the side. He recovered enough to walk but was still a long way from being able to fight. Even in his injured stated though, the portly man was ready to assist his people with his best efforts.

"I know it's been a tough week for everybody." She said. "We were fortunate to have found this ancient stronghold to hide out in...but we can no longer stay here. Hela will find us soon and we have to head for the Bifrost gate before that happens."

There was a bit of worried muttering amongst the crowd but most were ready to follow Lady Sif's orders. Heimdall raised his hand as a sign for them to remain silent.

Sif waited for the talking to stop before she continued. "I want everyone to gather their things and be ready to move within the next two hours. We will have to leave swiftly so there's less of a chance of being caught by Hela and her forces. Our army is no longer what it once was though...if you are able to fight, I'm asking you all to help defend those who can't."

Several of the younger Asgardian men and women looked determined to help out however they can. The few soldiers still alive were ready to defend the citizens to their dying breath. Everyone dispersed to pack for the journey to the Bifrost gate. Getting there from the mountains wasn't going to be easy and with this many people heading that way, they couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

"You two will escort our people safely to the Bifrost gateway. Make sure no one is left behind." Lady Sif said to Heimdall and Hill. "I will return to the city and get our people trapped there while Wanda heads to the palace to save Peter."

Maria looked at Wanda with a bit of worry. "Are you sure you want to do this alone?"

"I'll be alright." The Scarlet Witch reassured. "I promise to come back with Peter. You and Heimdall just be careful on your way to the Bifrost gate."

Hill reluctantly nodded before she left to prepare her things. The young Sokovian woman and Sif walked the other way to gather their own belongings. For the Asgardian woman, it was her sword while Wanda went to grab the scarlet long coat Spider-Man made for her. The battle against Hela would be a tough one if they ran into each other...but nothing was going to stop the Scarlet Witch from saving Peter.

If the situation was reversed, she knew Peter would do everything in his power to save her too.

"I really wish Thor was here to help out..." Wanda muttered. Things would go a lot smoother if the God of Thunder was here.

Lady Sif smirked as she walked up behind the Scarlet Witch . "Don't worry, Heimdall told me Thor's on his way back right now. It might be a while before he gets here though. That idiot always loves to make a grand entrance."

"Just as long as he gets here in time to help. That's what matters right now."

"Agreed." The Asgardian woman said before she grasped Wanda's hand. "Are you certain you wish to do this alone? I could come with you."

"Thank you but I'll be fine. Your duty is to your people first and to get them out of the city."

"I know...but I swore to keep Peter safe on the last mission and I failed. If anyone should go to save him, it should be me."

"He chose to lure that wolf away so you guys could make it back here." Wanda said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "It wasn't your fault."

Lady Sif smiled before she took a deep breath and refocused. "Thank you. We'll be moving out in two hours. Are you ready?"

The Scarlet Witch nodded...she was going to bring Peter back with her no matter what.

...

"Asgardians!" Skurge said loudly, addressing the crowd that was gathered in the city plaza. "Some misguided soul has taken the Bifrost sword."

Hela stood near the steps with her arms folded. She could see it...the fear in her people's eyes when they glanced at her. When she came back to Asgard, the Goddess of Death had hoped they would embrace her return with open arms but alas that was not the case. Hela would never admit it but it did break her heart a little to realize her fellow Asgardians were afraid of her.

As Spider-Man mentioned earlier, the fact that she slaughtered the Asgardian Legion last week probably only earned her more of their animosity. It never bothered her before but now she was starting to question her recent actions.

"Tell us where it is or there will be consequences..." Skurge briefly turned to look at her. "Bad ones."

No one in the audience spoke up. Most of them didn't even know about the sword being missing but there were a few who knew where it was. They had no intention of telling Hela or the Executioner though...none of them were going to sell out their loved ones who were hiding outside the city.

"Well?"

Nobody came forward. Hela sighed as she walked down the steps...she had hoped her people would see reason but it looked like a show of force was the only way to make one of them come clean.

She pointed towards a middle aged woman. "You."

Two of her undead warriors grabbed the woman and pulled her out of the crowd. They threw her to the ground in front of Skurge, who winced at the unnecessary brutality. The poor woman was trembling out of fear as she wondered what would happen next. Skurge moved to perform his duty...albeit with much reluctance. He didn't want to kill the innocent woman but failing to do so would result in his own death.

He stood beside the terrified woman and slowly held out the axe that Hela had given him. It wasn't going to work but he prayed anyways that the Goddess of death would change her mind about this.

"Well? Executioner?" Hela asked with an expectant look.

Skurge mentally cursed before he reluctantly raised his axe over the woman's neck. He was about to swing it down when another Asgardian suddenly rushed out of the crowd.

"Wait! I...know where the sword is." He said. The man had no desire to betray Heimdall and the others but he couldn't bear to see the innocent woman die.

Hela raised an eyebrow. "Where is it?"

The Asgardian reluctantly told her of the hidden ancient stronghold in the mountains...that was where Heimdall and the others were. The Goddess of Death and Skurge made the long trek there, where they found large doors embedded into the side of the mountain. Hela couldn't help but smirk at the clever disguise of it all...the doors were made out of the same rocks as the mountain itself. Had they not gotten a close look, they would've probably passed by it if they tried to find the place from a distance.

The Goddess of Death fired a barrage of sharp pillars, stabbing into the mountain wall around the doors. The gates slowly collapsed from the weakened supporting rocks and fell to the ground. Hela and Skurge were expecting to find the resistance inside...but the inner areas of the stronghold was completely empty and deserted.

"Where are they?" Skurge asked.

Hela was about to respond when she suddenly sensed one of the security wards she set in the throne room go off...someone was trying to break into the palace.

"Find them and get the Bifrost sword. I'll send Fenris to assist you." She ordered before turning to leave.

Skurge looked confused. "What about you, my Queen?"

"I have...an uninvited guest to deal with."

...

Wanda took a careful look around the area before she snuck into the palace. Lady Sif and her group split up not long after they entered the city. She had assumed the Goddess of Death would've left some of her Berserkers behind to watch over the place but there was none to be found so far. The Scarlet Witch knew better than to lower her guard though. Her hands were charged with telekinetic energy, ready to strike at any enemy dumb enough to try and attack her.

She was able to reach the throne room without any problems. Hiding behind one of the large pillars, Wanda peeked her head out just enough to check for any guards. There was none to be found but the Asgardian wolf that had been relentlessly hunting them for the past week was there, shrunken down to the size of a normal hound.

What really confused her was that the wolf looked like she was just lazing about...with her head resting on Spidey's leg. Fenris picked up her scent and let out a low growl as she rose to her feet.

The young Sokovian woman took a deep breath before she stepped out from behind the pillar. "Peter!"

Spider-Man perked up and smiled happily at the sight of his girlfriend. "Wanda! Take it easy, Fenris. She's not an enemy."

The Asgardian wolf surprisingly relaxed after he said that and laid her head back down on his leg. Wanda ran to the throne before she knelt down and gave Peter a hug.

"Thank goodness you're still alive." She whispered, holding him close. "Hela didn't hurt you, did she?"

"No, I'm alright. It's good to see you're okay too." Peter said as his mask folded into his suit.

The young Sokovian woman lovingly pressed her lips against Peter's. Peter happily kissed Wanda back for a brief moment before they pulled apart. They had to leave now before Hela returned to the palace.

"You can't get these chains off?"

The young Spider shook his head. "No. Believe me, I've been trying to bust out of these all day but they won't budge."

"Let me see if I can get you out." Wanda pressed her fingers against the shackles. "Don't move-"

The two young Avengers suddenly heard footsteps approaching from behind, making them halt their movements. Fenris stood up and ran over with an excited look on her face. Wanda turned around...frowning when she saw the Goddess of Death standing just a few feet away from them.

"So this is what you look like behind that mask." Hela said, studying Peter's face. "...Not bad. Fenris, go to the Bifrost gate and stand guard at the entrance. Do not let anyone pass."

The Asgardian wolf obeyed and left right away to do as her owner ordered.

"Hela..." The Scarlet Witch growled, standing defensively in front of Spider-Man.

Odin's firstborn smirked before multiple swords started to materialize out of thin air behind her. "I remember you...the mortal girl who immobilized and sent me careening down the city."

"I'll do worse than that this time if you don't let us leave."

"Don't get arrogant, mortal. You merely caught me by surprise last time...I won't make that same mistake twice."

The swords behind Hela flew swiftly at the Scarlet Witch. Wanda threw her hands forward and unleashed a powerful wave of red psionic energy, disintegrating the incoming blades into nothing but ashes. Hela charged at the mortal girl, bringing forth a sword into her right hand. Wanda made sure Peter was safely behind her before she used her telekinesis to levitate some of the rubble in front of the throne. The rocks floated in midair and she hurled them at Hela.

The Goddess of Death swung her sword to cut away at the incoming rubble but a few of the rocks violently crashed into her body. One of the boulders she destroyed broke off into smaller pieces and flew towards Wanda. A rock the size of a baseball struck the Sokovian woman's ribcage, making her fall to her knees as she felt the wind get knocked out of her lungs. Hela thrusted her sword forward at her chest. The Scarlet Witch created a small force field with her hands and was able to stop the blade from stabbing her heart just in time.

"You are skilled." Hela complimented before her lips formed an evil grin. "But you're still no match for me."

The young Sokovian women glared at Odin's firstborn, her eyes glowing with more intensity. "...We'll see about that."

Wanda charged her hands with more telekinetic energy before she swung them upwards, knocking Hela's sword out of her grip. The tip of the blade snapped off as the sword landed near Peter's feet. Before Hela could summon another weapon, The Scarlet Witch fired a powerful psionic blast at her. The bolt struck Hela in the chest...shocking the Goddess as she actually felt pain from the psychic attack. Wanda continued to fire one blast after another at her, knocking her off balance.

Hela was actually forced to go on the defensive, something that hasn't happened since she broke out of her imprisonment. The Scarlet Witch was relentlessly swift with her psionic blasts...she couldn't even summon a weapon in time. Hela could only use her hands to defend herself from the incoming bolts but for every one that she managed to block, another would hit her body elsewhere.

The Scarlet Witch unleashed one more psychic blast, knocking the Goddess of Death off her feet. Wanda kept Hela suspended in the air by her throat...making the Goddess choke as she struggled to breathe.

"You shouldn't have kidnapped my boyfriend." The Sokovian woman said before she threw Hela through the air.

The Goddess of Death was hurled across the room, smashing into a few of the pillars before she landed hard on the ground near the door. Wanda telekinetically gripped the ceiling above Hela and pulled it down, burying Hela beneath a few tons of debris and rubble.

Peter let out a gulp as he watched the Goddess of Death get buried...sometimes he forgot about just how powerful Wanda truly was. He made a mental note to never piss her off in the future.

His awe quickly turned into worry though when the Scarlet Witch clutched her midsection in pain. That kick from Hela earlier must've broken a few of her ribs.

"Wanda! You alright?"

"I-I'm fine." She muttered, making her way back to Peter's side.

"You're clearly not...Karen, scan her injuries."

 _"Ms. Maximoff has suffered mild trauma to her lungs and broken four of her ribs. She's experiencing minor difficulties with her breathing."_ The A.I. informed.

Peter put more strength into his arms and legs to try and break out of his shackles but they still wouldn't budge at all. Wanda took a seat and leaned her head against his chair as she tried to catch her breath.

"Young Parker! Lady Wanda!"

Thor suddenly ran into the throne room...looking very different from the last time they saw him. His trademark long blonde locks had been cut short and there was no sight of Mjolnir on him anywhere. Something interesting must've happened to him while he was away but for now, the two youngest Avengers had never been happier to see the God of thunder.

"You're back!"

"Indeed I am." Thor said, ripping the shackles off of Spider-Man's hands and legs. "I apologize for being away for so long...and for dragging you all into this mess."

Peter rubbed his sore wrists before he slung Wanda's arm over his shoulders and helped her stand up. The God of thunder's eyes wandered around the room, trying to find something.

"I came here to confront my sister. Have you seen her?"

The Scarlet Witch nodded towards a huge pile of debris in the corner. "If you're looking for Hela, she's underneath all that rubble. She hasn't surfaced at all since I buried her there."

Thor gave Wanda an incredulous look...she had fought Odin's firstborn in battle and actually won? He turned to Peter, who only nodded to confirm his suspicions. The young Spider had laid witness to their incredible fight from start to finish.

"I...see. That must've been quite a fight but I have a feeling she won't stay down for long. You two should go...join up with Lady Sif and Heimdall. I'll stay and buy you time to get my people away."

"Are you sure? We can stay and help you fight her."

Thor shook his head, clasping his hands on their shoulders. "No, she's my responsibility to deal with. You three have already done so much for my people and I owe you a debt that can never be repaid. Let me take it from here."

Peter and Wanda reluctantly nodded before they made their way out of the throne room.

...

Thor sat on the throne, waiting as he held his father's spear, Gungnir, in his hand. His older sister finally punched out of the debris she had been buried under...looking a little dazed but otherwise unharmed. She searched for the Scarlet Witch but found her brother instead sitting on her throne.

"Sister."

Hela was mildly shocked to see her brother still amongst the living. "You're still alive."

"I love what you've done with the place." Thor looked to the ceiling that showed a much different mural than the one he's known all his life. "Redecorating, I see."

"It seems our father's solution to his problems was to cover it up." She said before wincing a little. The wounds from her earlier fight with that mortal witch already healed but some of the pain still lingered.

"Or to cast it out...seems like your battle against my friend has taken a toll on you."

"It's nothing." She retorted.

"...He said you were worthy. He told me the same thing."

"You see? You never knew him...not at his best. Odin and I drowned entire civilizations in blood and tears.

Hela gestured to the surrounding pillars and throne. "Where do you think all this gold came from? Then one day, he decided to become a benevolent king. To foster peace. To protect life...to have you."

Thor only nodded at that. Whether or not that was the truth, he didn't know but there would be time later to find out for certain. "I understand why you're angry and you are my sister and technically, you have a claim to the throne. Believe me, I would love for someone else to rule but it just can't be you...you're just the worst."

"Okay, get up." His sister said, running her hands down her hair. Her trademark helmet with numerous spikes quickly covered her head. "You're in my seat."

The God of Thunder got off the throne and carried Gungnir as he walked down the steps.

"You know Father once told me a wise king never seeks out war..."

"But must always be ready for it." Hela finished before she ran forward.

The two siblings charged at one another with their weapons drawn, their blades clashing against each other when they met up in the middle.

...

 **\- I hope the Scarlet Witch's fight against the Goddess of Death was alright. I'm getting more used to writing action but I'm still a long way from being good at it.**

 **\- That whole bit with Wanda choking Hela with her telekinesis? It was based on Darth Vader's famous Force choke maneuver. Till next time, everyone.**


	32. Chapter 32

**\- This chapter is longer than the others. There's a bit more fight scenes in this one and most of it follows the events of Thor: Ragnarok. Of course, there will be a few differences with Peter and the others taking part in the final battle.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

Wanda held onto Peter as he web-swinged them to the Bifrost bridge. Her midsection was still hurting a little but it wasn't too serious of an injury for now. The rainbow bridge soon came into view and so did the huge crowd of Asgardians. Heimdall was leading the way at the front while Lady Sif and Maria were keeping the people covered from behind.

The Asgardians had managed to make it to the middle of the bridge but they were surrounded by Skurge and a battalion of Hela's warriors at the rear. Standing in front of the Bifrost gate was another group of Berserkers and Fenris...now in her giant form. Her fangs were ready to bite down on anyone who dared to approach.

Skurge yelled for Heimdall to give up the Bifrost sword. The only response the Executioner got was the Asgardian soldiers and a few civilians raising their weapons at him...they were ready to fight if needed. The Berserkers let out a disturbing cry before they charged. Maria swiftly drew her sidearms and opened fire at Hela's warriors. Any that got too close were immediately cut down by Lady Sif and the other armed Asgardians. On the other side, Fenris began to run towards her enemy.

A hail of bullets suddenly rained down on her head, making the wolf stop in her tracks. The Gatekeeper noticed a strange ship in the sky that was firing at Fenris. With his heightened sense of sight, Heimdall could see that it was Thor's friend, Bruce Banner, piloting the ship. Firing the makeshift gun from the side was an unknown woman wearing the legendary armour of the Valkyrie.

"We need to get down there and help them." The Scarlet Witch said, watching the battle between Hela's forces and the Asgardians unfold from above.

"Hold on tight." Spider-Man fired another web-line.

He swung down low before landing just a small distance away from Hela's forces at the rear. The undead soldiers were completely unaware of the two youngest Avengers being behind them. Wanda's ribs ached in pain as she slid off of Peter's back, making her grimace.

"You okay?"

"Still hurting a bit from my fight with Hela earlier. Don't worry though, I'll be fine."

Peter didn't seem convinced but let the matter go for now. "If you're sure...just stay close to me, okay?"

Wanda nodded before her hands and eyes glowed red with psionic energy. Peter checked to make sure there was enough web-fluid in this web shooters. From the Spider emblem on his back, the four golden metallic Spider legs popped out once more.

"Whoa..." The Scarlet Witch looked at the Spider legs in amazement. "How long have you had those?"

"Since I built this suit. I just haven't had a reason to use them until now. You ready?"

"Let's do this."

Pushing herself into the air, Wanda threw a powerful blast of psionic energy at the undead warriors. The blast hit a dozen Berserkers and made their fragile bodies crumble upon impact. Peter fired two strands of webbing at the chest plates of two Berserkers and pulled, making them fly towards him before he clotheslined their heads off.

"Karen..." Peter muttered, ducking beneath a blade before it could cut his neck. "We still have that Instant Kill mode installed, right?"

 _"We do."_

"Good. I think it's time we tried it out. Activate it."

 _"With pleasure."_ His A.I. said with a subtle tone of glee.

The four golden Spider legs on his back whirred around and began to ruthlessly skewer all the undead Asgardians who were standing too close. The Scarlet Witch used her telekinesis to lift a large group of Berserkers into the air before she hurled them off the bridge. She made sure to watch Peter's back as they steadily made their way closer to Lady Sif and Maria.

Hill was still providing cover fire for Sif when she spotted Peter and Wanda fighting their way through the crowd of the undead soldiers. Seeing them both okay made her smile before she shot two more Berserkers in the head. Lady Sif knocked one of Hela's warriors off the bridge with her shield and swiftly cut another in half by the waist.

At the front, Heimdall and the Asgardian guards were holding their own against the Berserkers. Fenris hadn't moved yet as she was still distracted by the ship that was firing on her. There was only one Berserker left standing at the back and it tried to run. Sif threw her blade at it before it could get away...impaling the zombie in the back of the head.

"Nice throw." Maria praised, reloading her sidearms.

Sif gave her a little smirk. Spider-Man stopped for a moment to pull her sword out of the Berserker's skull before he and the Scarlet Witch regrouped with them.

"Thank you." Lady Sif took her sword back before she placed her hands on Peter's and Wanda's shoulders, happy to see them both alright.

The two youngest Avengers gave her a smile as Hill came over and pulled Spider-Man in for a quick hug. His mask folded back into the suit, revealing Peter's young face.

Maria quickly kissed Peter. "Thank goodness you're okay...you really had Wanda and I worried for a while."

"I'm sorry."

"The important thing is that you're back here with us. Just don't be so reckless next time."

"...More of Hela's forces will be coming soon." Lady Sif said. "We have to get my people to the Bifrost gate now but we can't move so long as that damn wolf is in the way.

Peter's mask materialized around his head again and his lenses zoomed in on Fenris...who was looking more annoyed than anything at the bullets bouncing off of her head. Aboard the ship, Valkyrie growled out of frustration. She already fired hundreds of rounds at the beast but they weren't even making a scratch on her.

"This stupid dog won't die!" She yelled, letting go of the triggers.

Bruce was conflicted for a second before he made a decision and left the pilot's seat. Valkyrie looked at him strangely, wondering what he was about to do.

"Everything's going to be alright now. I got this. You wanted to know who I am?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked.

"You'll see!" Bruce said before he leapt off the ship.

...

The ship overhead stopped firing, allowing Fenris to resume her charge at the Asgardians. Heimdall removed his cloak and prepared himself for a tough battle against the incoming Asgardian Wolf. Fenris was approaching closer and closer until something landed hard on the space in front of her. Both she and the Gatekeeper were confused as to what just fell until they took a better look.

Lying on the bridge with a rather painful expression on his face was Bruce Banner...although why he chose to leap off the ship from such a height was anyone's guess.

Fenris smelled Bruce's unmoving body for a second before she decided he wasn't important and left him behind. Heimdall spun his sword a few times, waiting for the Asgardian wolf to approach. Spider-Man landed gracefully beside the Gatekeeper and stood ready to help him fight off the giant wolf. Wanda stayed with Lady Sif and Maria to keep the rear protected. Peter had no desire to harm Fenris but if she tried to attack the Asgardian civilians, he would defend them with everything he had.

Fenris was just a few steps away from her target...when she found herself unable to move all of a sudden. Something strong was pulling her backwards by the tail before it swung her away from the Asgardians.

Spider-Man watched in slight awe as the Hulk appeared out of nowhere and swung Fenris around with no visible struggle. The Asgardian wolf tried to shove Banner out of the way but he threw a punch at her face, knocking her off the bridge. Fenris bit the Hulk by his leg as she fell and dragged him down with her. Some of Hela's warriors managed to climb on top of the _Commodore_ , stabbing every part in an attempt to bring it down. Valkyrie ran back to the controls to try and keep the ship afloat. One of the damn zombies must've cut away something important though because the ship couldn't maintain its altitude despite her best efforts.

The most she could manage now was a crashed landing and it looked like they were about to land further down the bridge.

Peter glanced at the ship on fire as he punched his fist straight through a Berserker's chest. He hoped whoever was still aboard was okay. The Asgardians were moving forward little by little but the Bifrost gate was still a fair distance away. For every zombie that they put down, another would quickly appear to attack.

From the palace, Hela dragged her wounded brother to one of the many balconies that offered a view of the battle raging on the bridge. One of Thor's eyes had been gouged out during their fight and he was struggling to break free of her grip. His elder sister's strength was vastly stronger than his own though. She slammed her brother's face down onto the overhang. Thor watched with gritted teeth as the ship he, Banner, and Valkyrie had flown in on crashed near the Bifrost gate.

"You see?" Hela snarled, leaning in close to Thor's ear. "No one's going anywhere. I'll get that sword even if I have to kill every last one of them to do it."

Peter caught a sword before it could decapitate an Asgardian man's head and kicked the zombie off the bridge. Heimdall was further ahead fighting two undead soldiers. He dodged out of the way of an incoming blade but another cut his left leg. Falling to one knee, the Gatekeeper was able to cut the two Berserkers in half across the waist before another one came running up and kicked him down by his chest.

The Bifrost sword fell out of his hand just a few meters away. Before he could grab it, the zombie that kicked him down stood ready to plunge a blade into his heart.

Heimdall prepared himself for the killing blow...but it never came.

Something suddenly blasted the Berserker from behind. There was a huge hole in the zombie's chest as it fell to the side and in its place stood a being made entirely out of rock.

"Hey, man." He greeted in an odd high voice. An insect looking alien who was wearing an odd suit with blades for hands came up beside him. "I'm Korg. This is Miek. We're gonna jump on that spaceship and get out of here. Want to come?"

Heimdall turned his head to look to the side as did the other Asgardians. Out of the clouds came a large blue spaceship...and Loki was standing at the front with his arms outstretched.

"Your saviour has arrived!" The God of Mischief boasted proudly. Once the ship landed beside the bridge, Loki stepped off and walked into the crowd of Asgardians. "Did you all miss me?"

Sif would've rolled her eyes at Loki's words but right now, she was just glad there was another way out for everyone. She quickly motioned for her people to get on the ship. Lady Sif helped Erika carry Volstagg while Hilde made sure their children also got on. Maria and Wanda stepped aboard the ship with Lorelei and Amora in their arms.

Heimdall took a second to catch his breath as Loki approached him. "Welcome home. I saw you coming."

"Of course you did." The God of Mischief said before he looked at Peter curiously. "Might I ask who you are?"

"...Spider-Man."

"Well met, Spider-Man. I am Loki, the God of Mischief."

Peter nodded. "I know. Thor and Lady Sif have told me a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope."

"Some of what Thor said was good. Lady Sif though...let's just say the words she used to describe you weren't kind."

Loki snorted. "I wouldn't expect any less from her."

Heimdall grabbed his sword. "Let us get back to the fight. These damn things are still coming."

Peter leapt ahead and landed in the middle of the undead reinforcements before the golden Spider legs on his back began to stab every Berserker around him. Loki joined the battle with a pair of daggers in hand. Korg fired his blaster at some of the Berserkers while Miek literally cut his way through them with his scissor like blades. They still needed to buy some time so every Asgardian could get on board the ship.

Thor let out a small chuckle...their dire predicament seemed like it was finally improving in their favor. His laughter quickly turned into a cry of pain when his sister stabbed him in the back.

"A valiant effort but you never stood a chance." Hela turned her brother over before she plunged a knife into his arm. "You see, I'm not a queen or a monster...I'm the Goddess of Death.

Thor started to lose consciousness as Hela's hand strangled his throat. Whether it was the lack of air, he didn't know but the God of Thunder believed he was hallucinating as he saw Odin standing on the cliff top in Norway where he passed. This wasn't the first time either...back on Sakaar, he kept having the same vision of his father during his fight against the Hulk.

Hela leaned closer to her brother's face with a taunting sneer. "What were you the God of again?"

Thor barely heard the question as his vision grew dark.

...

The God of Thunder found himself standing in the green fields of Norway...where Odin was standing in front of him. Thor walked a few steps towards his father before he fell to his knees. The Allfather looked at the bloodied eye of his son, smirking at how similar their appearances were now.

"Even when you had two eyes, you'd only see half the picture."

"She's too strong." Thor said, slightly out of breath. "Without my hammer, I can't..."

"Are you Thor, the God of Hammers? Hmm?" Odin asked. "That hammer was to help you control your power, to focus it. It was never your source of strength.

"It's too late. She's already taken Asgard."

The Allfather shrugged. "Asgard's not a place. It never was. This could be Asgard...Asgard is where our people stand. Even now, right now, those people need your help."

Odin slowly turned to leave. Thor thought about what his father just said but while he truly wanted to help his people, he didn't believe the strength he possessed would be enough.

His son looked helplessly to the ground. "I'm not as strong as you."

"No..." The Allfather said, stopping in his tracks before he turned around and gave his son a proud smile. "You're stronger."

Odin disappeared...leaving the God of Thunder alone on the grass field. Thor closed his eye and opened it again, finding himself back at the palace. He could feel a steady surge of power building up within his body.

"Tell me, brother...what were you the God of again?" Hela repeated.

Lightning sparkled around his fingers and in his eye, surprising the Goddess of Death as she looked at Thor's hand. Thor threw his fist towards the sky, bringing down a huge blast of lightning on himself and his sister. Hela was thrown back from the blast and landed hard on the ground.

On the Bifrost bridge, Loki only smirked at the dramatic display of power from his brother. Peter and Korg looked up with wide eyes at all the lightning bolts that was striking down on the palace. Aboard the ship, Lady Sif and Volstagg shared a grin...that familiar sound of thunder booming through the sky could only mean Thor's returned to help.

Thor descended from the palace with lightning coursing all over his body. Hela's warriors climbed over each other to form a small mound of swords and spears, ready to cut him down. The God of Thunder simply blasted them all away with a bolt of thunder before his feet touched the bridge. More undead soldiers charged at him but the lightning around Thor's body quickly disintegrated them into dust.

Fireworks were shooting out of the _Commodore_ behind Valkyrie as she casually walked down the bridge with Dragonfang in hand. Undead soldiers charged at her and one of them swung a sword at her head. She easily dodged out of the weapon's path and cut the Berserker's head off in turn. Valkyrie parried an incoming blow to the left before she thrusted her sword through the chest of another undead Asgardian.

With the God of Thunder now helping, Hela's forces were quickly being dwindled. Loki, Peter, and Korg continued to fight them off alongside some of the gladiators at the front while Lady Sif, Maria, and Wanda were destroying those who tried to approach the ship at the back. Below the bridge, Hulk was still battling Fenris as he flipped the Asgardian wolf onto her back. Fenris quickly recovered though and dragged Banner beneath the water. One of her fangs punctured the Hulk's leg, making him roar in pain. His left fist lashed out and landed a punch on the side of Fenris's face...knocking her backwards before she fell down a grand waterfall.

The Hulk struggled to grab hold of a rock ledge to prevent himself from falling too.

Skurge saw how Hela's Berserkers were being defeated and looked at the axe in his hands before he threw it down. Thor walked to Loki after having just destroyed the last of the zombies that were in his way. Valkyrie joined up with them shortly...behind her was a trail of Berserker bodies that were either beheaded or bisected.

"You're late."

Loki looked at Thor's face. "You're missing an eye."

Valkyrie walked past the two brothers. "This isn't over."

Heimdall and Korg headed back to the ship to help evacuate the rest of the Asgardians. Lady Sif went to go see Thor while Maria and Wanda regrouped with Peter.

"You two okay?"

Hill nodded. She was a little out of breath but otherwise unharmed. "Yeah, we're good. Is that Thor? He looks really different."

"It's him. All that lightning surrounding his body earlier was pretty cool. Is everyone on the ship?"

"Almost." The Scarlet Witch said. "There's still some families left that have to get aboard."

Peter put a gentle hand on Wanda's shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright. I've already used my powers to mend some of my ribs."

"Young Parker!" Thor called out.

"Go. We'll make sure the rest of the people are on board the ship." Maria reassured.

Valkyrie gazed at Spider-Man curiously as he approached but introductions would have to come later...if there would even be a later. Hela was strutting towards them, looking completely unharmed despite having been hit by a powerful blast of lightning earlier.

"I think we should disband the Revengers." Thor muttered as he looked at Valkyrie. Both were slightly out of breath.

The God of Mischief pointed at Hela. "Hit her with a lightning blast."

"I just hit her with the biggest lightning blast in the history of lightning. It did nothing."

"We just have to hold her off until everyone's on board." Valkyrie said.

Thor shook his head. "It won't end there. The longer Hela's on Asgard, the more powerful she grows. She'll hunt us down...we need to stop her here and now."

"We can't beat Hela though." Lady Sif tightened her grip around her sword. "How are we going to stop her?"

Loki glanced at his brother. "I'm not doing 'get help'."

Thor turned to look at the Asgardians that were getting on to the ship. The words of his father echoed in his mind: _'Asgard's not a place. It never was...Asgard is where her people stand.'_ Finally understanding what he meant, the God of Thunder came to a tough but necessary choice.

"Asgard's not a place, it's her people." He muttered.

Peter clenched his fists as Hela came closer. "Uh, guys? Do we have a plan?"

Thor nodded. "I think so. Loki, this was never about stopping Ragnarok...this was about causing Ragnarok. Surtur's crown, the vault!"

The God of Mischief raised his eyes at Thor, not expecting to hear such a thing from him.

"It's the only way."

"...Bold move, brother. Even for me." Loki said before he turned and ran towards the crashed ship near the Bifrost gate.

The God of Thunder turned his attention back to Hela, who was patiently waiting for them to make a move. "Shall we?"

Valkyrie gave Spider-Man and Lady Sif a nod. "After you."

Lighting surged all over Thor again as he led the charge against the Goddess of Death. Hela launched a couple of blades at her brother, only to be disintegrated when a bolt of lightning intercepted them. Thor swung at Hela but she dodged each one of his strikes with ease. The God of Thunder kept swinging his swords and finally landed a blow across Hela's face...only for her to shrug it off. Charging one of his swords with lightning, Thor attempted to stab through her heart. The Goddess of Death flipped out of the way, kicking Thor in the stomach as he sailed over her harmlessly.

Valkyrie planted a kick in Hela's face before she swung Dragonfang at her. Odin's firstborn raised her forearm to block the strike. She grabbed Valkyrie by the back of her neck and threw her out of the way. Hela watched her land hard on the ground before another sword pierced her through the abdomen. Lady Sif quickly pulled her sword out and swung at her again. Webbing suddenly landed in Hela's eyes as she tried to grab the weapon. Sif's blade slashed her across the chest before Spider-Man delivered a left haymaker to her temple.

Lady Sif and Spider-Man pressed their attack with the Asgardian woman continuing to cut away at the Goddess of Death. Peter kept Hela off balance by delivering swift punches and kicks to her face and legs. Odin's firstborn stumbled backwards as she tried to rip the webbing off her eyes. Sweeping a low kick at Hela's feet, Spidey tripped her to the floor.

Sif leapt up before she plunged her sword through the Goddess of Death's chest, stabbing both her and the bridge beneath.

Even that didn't slow Hela down as she tore off the webbing from her eyes. She simply pushed herself up through the double bladed weapon before her hand grabbed Sif by the neck. Spider-Man leapt in to help Lady Sif but Hela threw a blade at him with her free hand, forcing him to duck beneath. Her right leg drove a hard kick into Peter's face while his attention was diverted and knocked him away further down the bridge.

Hela smirked at Lady Sif, who was trying to break out of her grasp. "You never hesitate to go in for the kill. I could've used you in my conquest of the cosmos."

The Goddess of Death summoned another blade before she let go of Sif and slashed her across the chest. Lady Sif's armor took the brunt of the blow but Hela's sword still cut deep into her body. Blood began to pool out of her wound as she struggled to get back up.

"No!" Thor yelled, charging at his sister.

He threw one of his swords at her, who brushed it aside with ease. Thor knocked his sister off her feet with a bolt of thunder before he slammed her back down to the ground with his remaining sword. The God of Thunder infused his weapon with lightning and tried to stab his sister. Hela quickly flipped out of the way and threw a spear, hitting her brother in the chest.

Spider-Man ran to Lady Sif's side and cradled her head in his arms. Karen quickly took a scan of her injury.

"Karen?"

 _"Her wound is deep but not fatal."_ She informed. _"We have to stop the bleeding now though. I'd recommend you cover the injury with your webbing."_

Peter looked into Sif's eyes. "I'll have to use my webs to stop the bleeding...this might sting a bit."

Lady Sif gave a weak smile. "I've been through worse. Go ahead."

The young Spider nodded before he fired some webbing down her wound. The sting hitting her nerves wasn't pleasant but she gritted her teeth to bear with it until the feeling quickly subsided. Once the webbing was set, Peter gently carried her back to the ship. Lady Sif was no longer in any condition to continue fighting and he sure as hell wasn't going to leave her on the bridge.

Near the Bifrost gate, Loki managed to get the _Commodore_ working again before he took off for the palace. His brother's plan was rather audacious but even he knew there was no other way to beat their elder sister.

"This is madness." He muttered, taking a left turn.

...

The God of Thunder's fist swung at Hela but she quickly blocked it. Grabbing her outstretched arm, Thor threw her over his shoulder. Hela flipped herself upright and launched a blade at Valkyrie. Valkyrie deflected it to the side with Dragonfang before she attempted to cut Hela's neck. The Goddess of Death ducked beneath her sword and violently shoved her to the ground.

Thor looked to Heimdall, who was by the entrance of the spaceship. "Go! Go now!"

The ship's thrusters ignited and began to lift off. Thor moved his head out of the way of an incoming spear. A second one appeared right behind the first and stabbed him in the chest. Hela pulled the spear back by the handle and threw her brother to the ground.

The Goddess of Death raised her hands. From the water below came two huge spiked pillars that pierced through the ship, slowing down it's take off. A great number of Berserkers began to climb the pillar. Wanda was using her powers to heal Lady Sif's grievous wound when the undead warriors stepped aboard the ship. Healing Sif required both of her hands and all of her focus though so she couldn't fight the Berserkers off.

Maria raised her sidearm, shooting one in the head before it could get inside. She aimed at another zombie and pulled the trigger...but there was only the sound of a click coming from her gun. The magazine in her sidearm was empty. Hill tried to fire her other gun but there was no more bullets in that one either.

Spider-Man kicked the one Maria had been aiming at off the ship before he threw a punch at another Berserker. The zombie flailed its arms helplessly as it crashed into another undead warrior and both fell to the river below. In such tight quarters, Peter couldn't risk using the Spider legs on his back or else he might accidentally hit one of the Asgardian civilians.

One of the gladiators from Sakaar threw a punch at one of the invading Berserkers. It did little to hurt the undead warrior though as it swung its sword. The blade smashed against the gladiator's arm but the blow was blunted thanks to the armguard he wore. Even so, the alien couldn't raise his arm properly now. He kneeled helplessly before the Berserker as it stood ready to cut his head off.

Just as the blade was about to make contact with the gladiator's neck, a burst of gunfire suddenly struck the Berserker. Numerous bullet holes riddled the zombie's armor as it collapsed out of the ship. Everyone turned to see who it was that opened fire...and they were all surprised to see Skurge with two rifles in hand.

A cloak slid off of his blue armor as he fired another burst of bullets at the incoming Berserkers. It wasn't until Skurge saw the worry in the Asgardian children's eyes that he finally got the courage to fight for them...for his people.

"For Asgard." Skurge muttered before he opened fire again.

The rifle rounds smashed into the undead warriors on board and pushed them off the ship. Skurge leapt out and aimed his rifles down, firing at the Berserkers still on the pillars. Peter jumped after him to make sure he didn't get killed. Taking on all those zombies by himself wasn't exactly a sound idea...especially since Hela was still down there. The ship managed to pull itself free from Hela's pillars and began to fly away from the Bifrost bridge.

Once Skurge landed on the bridge, he opened fire on all the Berserkers he could see. The undead warriors crumbled from the bullets that were hitting them at such a short range. The former Executioner used the rifles to block two incoming sword strikes before he fired at the two zombies from the left and right and shot another point blank in the chest.

"Hela!" He yelled out of defiance. The Goddess of Death looked back and saw her Executioner decimating her forces. A look of slight disappointment flashed across her face.

Skurge pulled the triggers again but quickly found the magazines in both his rifles to be empty. That didn't deter him as he simply headbutted a Berserker away before he used his rifle to bludgeon the last of Hela's undead warriors. Hela sighed and launched a sword at her former executioner. Spider-Man fired a web ball at the blade, sticking the sword to the ground before it could pierce his heart.

Skurge stared at the webslinger in shock. "W-why did you save me?"

"It's what I do." Peter replied before he handed him a long strand of webbing. "This webbing is attached to the ship. Climb this to get back on board."

"But what about you?"

"I'll keep Hela distracted long enough for you guys to get away. Now go!"

His Spider sense suddenly blared in his head and he pushed Skurge out of the way of an incoming spear. Spidey leapt forward with his left fist drawn back and tried to punch the Goddess of Death. Hela blocked it with her arm and redirected the blow to the side. She threw a punch of her own but Peter quickly ducked beneath her fist. He jumped up and drove a hard knee into Hela's chin, making her head snap back from the blow. Not giving Hela a chance to recover, Peter hit her in the ribs with a powerful left hook before his feet planted a kick into her sternum.

Hela skidded backwards a few steps as Peter tried to kick her in the head again. She grabbed Spider-Man's left leg in mid air and swung him head first into one of the support pillars on the side of the bridge. His suit took most of the damage but Peter was slightly dazed from the impact. Hela slammed him down to the bridge before she kneeled over his body and leaned in close to his masked face.

"I wish we weren't enemies, Spider-Man." She whispered with a small hint of regret in her voice. "I would've liked to have you by my side."

Peter managed to let out a chuckle. "Heh...maybe there's still a way for that to happen."

"Oh?"

The tone in Peter's voice turned serious. "You can stop fighting now before anyone else gets hurt. It isn't too late."

He was expecting her to laugh at such a suggestion but she didn't. Instead, her lips curved into a sad smile. "I am the Goddess of Death, Spider-Man. Fighting wars and conquering is all I'm good at."

"No, it isn't. You just haven't given yourself the chance to see that yet."

"...I'm sorry. I won't stop, not when victory is at hand." Hela said before she pulled back her fist.

"Hela!" Thor called out, getting to his feet. "Enough!"

The Goddess of Death let go of Spider-Man and turned to face her brother. Peter could see Valkyrie in front of him, crawling towards her sword.

"You want Asgard? It's yours."

"Whatever game you're playing at, it won't work." Hela said. "You can't defeat me."

"No, I know." Thor smiled as he pointed to the city behind him...which was catching fire. "But he can."

The giant form of Surtur smashed through the palace, restored to his full power and with his sword in hand. The fire demon let out a loud roar as he swung his blade down on the city, destroying numerous buildings in one swing.

Hela took a step back, not believing what she was seeing. "No..."

Valkyrie ran up behind her and thrusted Dragonfang through the Goddess of Death's back before she skidded to a safe distance on her knees. Before Hela could get up, Thor brought down a huge blast of lightning on her. The part of the bridge his sister fell on collapsed and dropped to the river below.

"Kneel before me, Asgard!" Surtur bellowed. "I am your reckoning!"

Valkyrie went over to Peter and helped him get to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Thank you...I never caught your name earlier."

"Call me Valkyrie." She said with a smirk. "You must be Spider-Man. Thor's mentioned you and your friends a few times."

They regrouped with Thor, who was watching the spaceship in the sky. From the ship, Heimdall and the other Asgardians looked on at their beloved city on fire. Wanda and Maria could only offer their sympathies to the Asgardians...they were witnessing the complete destruction of their beautiful home.

Valkyrie gently tapped her fist on Thor's vest. "The people are safe. That's all that matters."

The God of Thunder turned around to see Surtur reduce his home to ashes. "We're fulfilling the prophecy."

"I hate this prophecy."

"So do I but we have no choice. Surtur destroys Asgard, he destroys Hela so our people may live."

Peter looked around and saw the Hulk climb back up to the bridge. "Uh, Thor?"

"But we need to let him finish the job. Otherwise-"

Thor was interrupted when the Hulk suddenly leapt towards Surtur and drove both his fists into the fire demon's face. Surtur flinched from the blow before Banner began to throw more punches into his crown.

"Hulk! Stop, you moron!" Thor yelled.

Surtur just looked annoyed at the green Avenger that was hitting him. The demon from Muspelheim simply grabbed the Hulk with his left hand before he threw him back down to the bridge.

"Hulk, stop! Just for once in your life, don't smash!"

Banner got up and quickly looked at Surtur before he turned back to Thor. "Big monster!"

"Let's go!" Valkyrie said.

Hulk let out a huff of annoyance as he gathered Thor, Valkyrie, and Spider-Man into his arms before he leapt up to the spaceship in a single bound. From out of the water, a sharp pillar suddenly flew out and stabbed Surtur's abdomen. The Goddess of Death appeared out of the river and rode on one of the many sharp pillars she summoned. She launched them at the fire demon, with each one impaling him in the chest.

None of it even hurt Surtur as he simply raised his sword. "I am Asgard's doom!"

Hela gritted her teeth and fired four more pillars at Surtur. They hit their mark but none of them fazed the fire demon at all. The Goddess of Death's eyes widened in horror as Surtur's blade quickly descended upon her.

...

 **\- This one took a lot of time to finish. Describing action scenes still isn't easy for me but I think I manage to write it okay.**

 **\- The next part will focus on their journey back to Earth. The Asgardians suffered a lot throughout the films so I'll probably make it so more Asgardians survive than was depicted.**


	33. Chapter 33

**\- The journey to Earth begins. The next two chapters will be more or less of a drabble.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

The Asgardians aboard the _Statesman_ watched in silence as Surtur plunged his blade into the very centre of Asgard. The whole city was set aflame and the buildings and houses were quickly destroyed by the fire. Korg stood on the side with a seemingly dead Miek in his hand while Hulk was on the opposite end beside Heimdall.

"The damage is not too bad...as long as the foundations are still strong, we can rebuild this place." Korg said. "It will become a haven for all peoples and aliens of the univer-"

The gladiator made of rock stopped talking when the core of Asgard exploded with a blossom of bright blue light and smoke...leaving nothing except rubble and cosmic dust.

"Now those foundations are gone. Sorry."

Some of the Asgardians began to weep at the loss of their beloved home. Thor himself could scarcely believe what he'd been forced to do.

"...What have I done?" He muttered.

"You saved us from extinction." Heimdall said, looking at his new King. "Asgard's not a place...it's a people."

Thor thought about that for a moment before he slowly nodded. Turning to face his people, he could tell they were exhausted and needed some rest. So did he admittedly.

"I know all of you are no doubt tired after what happened today...so please get some rest. This is a big ship so I'd imagine there are enough rooms for everyone."

"I'll show them the way." Valkyrie said before she walked through the crowd. Having been aboard the _Statesman_ before, she was familiar with the ship's inner workings.

All of the Asgardians followed her, eager to finally let themselves relax after such a harrowing week of hiding. Two Asgardian soldiers helped Volstagg get to his feet as they walked out of the observation room. Erika was right behind her husband, holding their youngest daughter in her arms. Their other two children followed their mother.

Maria and Peter sat together in the med bay just down the hall that had been set aside for the wounded...which thankfully wasn't many. Wanda was nearly done healing Lady Sif's wound. The last of her injury slowly faded away, leaving not even a trace of a scar on Sif. Wanda wiped some sweat out of her eyes before she sat down next to Peter to take a break. Using her powers to heal Sif's injury proved to be a bit taxing given how deep the wound was. Lady Sif was now asleep, having finally given in to exhaustion after she laid down on the soft bed.

"You alright?" Spidey asked.

Wanda nodded as she laid her head on Peter's shoulder. "Just tired...I've never used my powers so much before."

Peter pecked a light kiss on her forehead. "You've fought hard today. How are your ribs?"

"Much better. I've already healed the ones that were broken. Now I just have to let time fix the bruising in my lungs."

Spidey nodded, happy to hear that she'd be okay. His eyes turned to Maria...there didn't seem to be any injuries on her. Like Wanda, she was mostly just tired. It had been a long day for everyone aboard the ship.

Hill gave Peter a reassuring smile. "I'm alright. This cut on my arm was from yesterday and it's already healing. You?"

"My body's just sore. I feel like I could sleep for a whole week."

"Same here...I never thought our vacation would turn out like this."

"Me neither." Peter said, holding her close. "...I can't imagine how the Asgardians are feeling right now. They just lost their home."

Thor entered the med bay and gave them a tired smile as he approached. The young Spider had never seen the God of Thunder so weary before. His left eye or what was left of it was still darkened with blood.

"How is she?" He asked, pulling up a chair next to Lady Sif's bed.

"Lady Sif will be fine." Wanda said. "I mended the cut on her chest with my powers. She just needs to rest for a few days now."

Relief washed over the God of Thunder as he grasped Sif's hand. When he witnessed Hela cut into his oldest friend on the Bifrost bridge, he had feared the worst. Whether she was aware that Asgard was destroyed, he didn't know...but Thor promised to tell her about it later.

"Thank you, Lady Wanda." Thor said, gratefully nodding at the Scarlet Witch. "Thank you all for everything you've done to aid my people."

Maria shook her head. "We're glad we were able to help...I'm sorry we couldn't save your home though."

"It is not your fault. Triggering Ragnarok was the only way to defeat my sister. As long as my people are safe, Asgard will always be with us and it is in no small part thanks to you all that we have a future. I give you my word...your brave deeds will not go unrewarded."

"You don't have to give us anything, Thor. It's alright." Peter said, politely waving away his offer.

"...No, Thor's right." Sif whispered, waking up all of a sudden. "You risked your lives to keep us safe. It would be wrong for us to not thank you all properly."

Wanda placed her hand over Lady Sif's forehead. "You should be resting."

"I know...I just need to speak with Thor alone for a moment. I promise I'll go back to sleep afterwards."

The young Sokovian woman nodded before she, Peter, and Maria left to give them some space. Valkyrie noticed them from down the hall and she made her way over. Peter gave her a friendly wave while Wanda and Maria looked at her awkwardly...unlike their boyfriend, they hadn't met this Asgardian woman.

"Spider-Man, right?" Valkyrie said, taking a good look at his face. "...You're younger than I thought."

"I get that a lot. My name is Peter Parker."

"It's a pleasure, Peter. Who are they?"

"Wanda Maximoff and Maria Hill." Peter introduced. "This is Valkyrie. She helped us fight Hela back on the bridge."

The young Sokovian woman held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Valkyrie smiled as she took Wanda's hand and shook it. "Likewise. I've heard you two fought hard to keep my people safe. Thank you."

"It was no trouble at all. We were glad to help." Maria said, shaking Valkyrie's hand.

"Have you seen Thor?"

Peter pointed his thumb backwards. "He's in the medical bay, talking to Lady Sif about something private. You might want to wait a few minutes before going in."

"Hmm, good idea. So where are you all headed?"

Hill shrugged. "We're not sure. We just left the med-bay to give Thor and Sif some space."

"...Have you three found a room to stay in?"

"No, not yet." Wanda replied. "We haven't even thought about finding one."

"Well then, allow me to show you to a room." Valkyrie said. "There's one I know of that will be perfect for the three of you."

"What about the other Asgardians? Have they all found a place for themselves?"

"Yep. This ship was one of the Grandmaster's travel vessels...although he never used it. There are enough rooms here for at least a thousand individuals." Valkyrie explained before she motioned for them to follow. "Shall we?"

Peter looked to Maria and Wanda, who gave him a nod.

"Lead the way."

...

The room Valkyrie led them to was one floor above the one they had just been on. They stopped before a rather fancy looking door and Valkyrie pressed in a code on the keypad. Once the doors slid open, she welcomed them in with a dramatic flourish. It was a very simple but luxurious room. In the middle stood a glass table and behind it was a small bar with the shelves full of alcoholic drinks stored in glass bottles. There was a large fancy bed on the right side of the room. The pillows and blankets themselves looked like they were made out of the softest fabrics the universe has to offer. The bathroom was just across the bed and inside of it was a very elegantly designed bathtub, sink, and toilet.

"...Are all the rooms like this?" Peter asked, taking a look around.

Valkyrie nodded. "Pretty much. When it comes to having the greatest comforts, the Grandmaster spares no expense. Some of the rooms don't have a bar like this though."

Maria went over to the bar and examined the glass bottles on the shelves. It would be nice to have a drink right now but she wasn't sure which ones were safe for human consumption. Valkyrie seemed to have read her mind because she quickly walked to the bar and grabbed two glass cups from behind the counter. Pulling one of the amber coloured bottles off the shelf, Valkyrie poured some of the alien alcoholic beverage into both cups.

"Here. This should be safe for Midgardians to drink." She said, handing Hill one of the cups. "Cheers."

Maria clinked her glass against Valkyrie's before they tossed back the alcoholic beverage in one shot. The taste of the alien drink was surprisingly smooth and sweet with a hint of smokiness...it reminded Hill of bourbon to be honest.

The Asgardian woman looked to the two youngest Avengers, who were laying down next to each other on the bed. "Would you two like some?"

"No but thank you. I'm not old enough to drink." Peter politely refused. Wanda declined as well by shaking her head.

Valkyrie nodded before she poured herself another drink. "More for us then. I'll remove all the bottles that aren't safe for humans so you don't have to try and guess a drink for yourself later."

"Thank you."

Behind them, the Scarlet Witch slowly drifted to sleep. The long day of battle had taken a toll on her. Spidey was barely able to keep his own eyes open. The adrenaline in his body wore off a long time ago and exhaustion now took its place. Peter reached for Wanda's hand and gently held on before he fell asleep too. Maria watched the two youngest Avengers rest with a smile...she was feeling pretty tired herself and would probably join them after another drink or two.

"Would you like another shot?"

Hill nodded and thanked the Asgardian woman as she poured a few fingers of the bourbon like beverage into her glass. Valkyrie poured herself some too before they both took a sip.

Valkyrie let out an appreciative sigh. "Ah...nothing like a good drink after a tough battle."

"Agreed. I'm more of a wine person myself but this tastes nice too."

"I haven't had wine in a while...maybe I should try some later." Valkyrie muttered before she nodded towards the slumbering Avengers. "I take it those two are together?"

Maria's lips twitched into a grin. "We all are."

"Wait...you mean you and Wanda are both with Peter?" She asked, her eyes raised out of surprise.

"Yes." Hill replied. "...We're not the only ones either. Back home, there are two others who love Peter just as much as we do."

Valkyrie was speechless at first before she slowly smirked. It wasn't exactly the oddest thing she's ever heard...the stories that have been told about the orgies Grandmaster used to partake in on the leisure vessel they stole was far more disturbing.

"Well, I can't say I blame you all...Peter is rather cute. Have there been any problems in your relationship?"

"None so far. For the most part, we're happy."

The memory of her long deceased lover flashed in Valkyrie's mind for a moment. "That's great. I have to say though Peter and Wanda really look good together."

Maria chuckled. "Indeed...Natasha and I often say that ourselves."

"Here's to your happy relationship." Valkyrie raised her glass for a toast. "May it last a long lifetime."

"Thank you." Hill said before she clinked her cup against hers again.

Both ladies drank with each other in silence as they looked out the window. Outside it was nothing but the vast emptiness of space. There were a few planets in the distance along with some asteroids floating by. The only source of light outside was the stars that filled the dark sky.

"Do you know where we're headed right now?" Maria quietly asked.

Valkyrie took another sip of her drink. "No. That's what I wanted to talk to Thor about. With him being the new King of Asgard, it's only right that he decides where we should go to find a new home."

With Asgard being destroyed, her people needed to find a new place to call home. They couldn't just drift around aimlessly in space forever. Finding a suitable place wasn't going to be easy though...there were many planets out there but most of them weren't exactly safe to settle down in.

An idea came to Hill's mind. "Perhaps you could go to Earth?"

Valkyrie looked at her with a bit of surprise. "Would that be alright?"

"I'm not sure...I'll have to ask my former superior about it. I don't think it'll be a problem so long as you pick a place that isn't too populated."

"I'll talk to Thor about it. Thank you."

"Of course." Maria said before she felt the urge to yawn. She managed to stifle it albeit awkwardly.

Valkyrie giggled at the funny look on her face. "I think we could all use some rest. It's been a long day for everybody."

The Asgardian woman tossed back the last of her drink before she set her glass down. Taking a moment to remove all the drinks that were harmful to humans off the shelves, she held the bottles in her arms as Maria walked her to the door.

"I'll dispose of these the proper way." She said with a smirk. "You and I should drink together again later."

Hill didn't have any problems with that. "That'd be nice."

Valkyrie nodded and left to meet up with Thor. The doors slid close as Maria made her way back inside. She sat on the bed and gently laid down beside Peter. His and Wanda's light snoring were the only sounds that could be heard in the room. Her fingers played with Peter's soft brown hair for a moment before the fatigue from battle caught up to her. Resting her arm over Peter's chest, Maria closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

...

Lady Sif was quiet as she thought about what Thor just explained to her. There wasn't any other way to defeat Hela so she didn't blame him for making such a difficult choice. The very idea of their home now gone though was just hard to accept at the moment.

"I'm sorry, Sif." Thor said quietly with guilt in his blue eye. "There was no other way."

Her hand moved up and caressed the side of his face. "...You did the right thing."

"It sure as hell doesn't feel like it though."

Sif gave a soft smile. "The important thing is that everyone is safe. You said so yourself: Asgard isn't a place, it's our people."

The God of Thunder felt his heart lighten up at her words and he smiled back as his eye met hers. "...What would I do without your wisdom, Sif?"

"Probably fall to pieces." She joked, making them both chuckle.

"I heard Volstagg had been severely injured. How is he now?"

"Volstagg's fine. The wounds Hela inflicted were almost lethal but we managed to save him. He's recovering now and aboard the ship with his family."

"Good. What about Fandral or Hogun?"

Sif's eyes turned sad. "...They didn't make it."

"I see." Thor muttered with a frown. He prayed his two old friends were now with his father and mother in Valhalla.

The two of them stayed silent for a minute to remember all the ones who fell in the battle against Hela. The number of people that survived greatly outnumbered the casualties but every life that had been lost was a dear friend or family member. They would be sorely missed and honoured. Thor gazed at Sif with his one good eye...he never really noticed it before but the beauty of her face was very captivating to look at.

Sif noticed him staring at her and she couldn't help but blush at the intensity of his gaze. "Is there something on my face, Thor?"

"N-no." He said, a little bit flustered. "I...uh-"

The God of Thunder was saved from having to come up with a hasty explanation when Valkyrie made a timely entrance. She had stopped in her quarters first to put away the alcohol that was collected earlier. As she approached, she wondered why Thor's and Sif's cheeks were slightly red.

"...Did I come in at a bad time?"

Thor shook his head. "N-not at all. What is it?"

"Your people await you, your highness." Valkyrie said with a small smile. "They wish to properly greet their new King of Asgard."

"Now? I thought they were resting."

"Most of the children and wounded are. The others though have gathered in the observation room."

"I see...what about young Parker and the others?" He asked.

"They're currently asleep. Should I get them?"

"It's alright. After all they've done to help save our people, they deserve some time to rest."

"Very well then. I shall go and tell the others you'll be coming soon." Valkyrie said.

She gave Lady Sif a courteous nod before leaving the room. Thor was about to get up and follow when Sif suddenly grabbed him by the arm. Looking at her with a bit of confusion, he quickly sat back down.

"What is it?"

Sif took a look at all the dirt and grime on his face. "You can't face your people looking like this. You should clean up a little first."

"I suppose...but what should I do about this?" Thor pointed to his destroyed left eye.

"I have an idea." She said, gently touching the wound around his eye.

...

Peter woke up a few hours later to the sound of someone knocking on the door. He carefully got up from the bed so as to not wake up Wanda and Maria by accident and walked over to the doorway. Most of the injuries he sustained during his fight against Hela were already mended thanks to his enhanced healing factor. The doors slid open, revealing Thor to be on the other side.

The blood and grime that was on his face earlier had been cleaned off and a gold eyepatch now covered his left eye. Thor didn't look as tired as he did earlier and there was a small smile on his face that was directed at Peter.

"Hello, Man of Spiders. I apologize for waking you up."

"It's alright, Thor. How's Lady Sif?"

"She is currently resting as per Lady Wanda's orders. She says you're all welcome to go visit her later."

Peter nodded. "We'll be sure to do that...so what's up?"

"Ah, yes. I was wondering if you, Lady Wanda, and Lady Maria could come with me for a moment?" Thor asked. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you all."

He agreed, naturally curious about what the God of Thunder wished to talk about. "Sure. Give us a few minutes to get ready."

"Of course. Take all the time you need, I will wait out here." Thor said before he stepped back out to the hall.

The doors slid closed as Peter returned to the bed. He gently nudged Wanda and Maria by the shoulders to wake them up.

"What's going on?" Hill asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Thor wants to speak with us for a moment."

Wanda frowned as she let out a yawn. "Can't it wait till later? We've only slept for a few hours."

Peter sheepishly chuckled. He almost forgot about his girlfriend's tendency to sleep in. "I'm sure it won't take too long."

"...Fine."

She and Hill climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash their faces. Peter put his boots back on before he stepped out to the hall first. Thor was waiting in the hall with his arms folded when he passed through the doors and was surprised to see him outside already.

"All set?"

Peter nodded as he stood beside the God of Thunder. "Yeah, Wanda and Maria are just freshening up in the bathroom."

"I see. There's no hurry so we have plenty of time."

"Does your eye still hurt?" Spidey asked.

"Hm? Oh no, not at all. It did at first when Hela gouged it out though." Thor said, absently touching the golden patch covering his eye. "Sif came up with the good idea of having me wear an eyepatch to cover the wound."

Peter smirked. "It looks pretty good."

"Thank you...you know Hela mentioned I reminded her of our father when she cut out my eye. I thought she was just mocking me at first but now that I think about it, I do resemble him a little."

The doors slid open and Hill stepped out of the room with the Scarlet Witch right behind her. "Sorry for making you both wait."

Thor shook his head. "It's alright. You didn't take very long."

Maria grew quiet for a moment as she stared at the eyepatch the God of Thunder was wearing. Thor wondered why she was just staring at him and began to fidget a little from her blank gaze.

"Uh...is something wrong?"

"Nothing. I just never expected to see you wearing an eyepatch."

"Is that a bad thing?" Thor asked, a little confused.

Hill shook her head. "Given that you're now missing an eye, it only makes sense for you to have one. If Fury sees you like this though...he might think you're wearing it just to mock him or something."

"Really?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it past him. He'll probably believe Stark put you up to it though."

Thor chuckled. "Then there is nothing to worry about. Come, the others are waiting."

They followed the God of Thunder as he walked in front. Wanda linked her arm with Peter's and rested her head on his shoulder. Maria smirked at the sleepy Sokovian woman before they entered an elevator. Going down a floor, Thor led them back to the observation room...where a large gathering of Asgardians were waiting. They could see Volstagg in front of the crowd, standing with the help of his wife. Sitting on top of his shoulders was his youngest daughter while their two other children held their mother's hands.

Beside his family was Hilde and her two daughters, giving them all a friendly wave as they walked in.

"What's going on?" Peter asked as he waved back.

Wanda and Maria stood beside the young Spider, wondering the same thing. The God of Thunder just walked to his makeshift throne and sat down. The Asgardians parted to both sides of the room...leaving Peter and the others standing alone in the middle. Valkyrie stood on one side of Thor, giving them a friendly smile while Loki stood on the other. The look on the God of Mischief's face was one of boredom but he was a bit surprised to see the mortal who wielded Mjolnir again before it was destroyed.

"Young Parker, Lady Wanda, and Lady Maria. In recognition of everything you've done to help my people, I and the others here would like to name you all honorary Asgardians." Thor stated with a proud smile.

All of the Asgardians nodded and smiled in agreement with their King. The Midgardians risked their lives to save theirs many times over and if it hadn't been for them, they might not have gotten away. In their eyes, they each fought with the spirit and integrity of an Asgardian warrior. It was only right to officially acknowledge them as such.

Peter, Wanda, and Maria stood speechless as they could hardly believe what Thor just said. They could understand the Asgardians being grateful for their efforts but none of them expected to be given such an honor like this.

"We didn't really do much, Thor." Peter finally found his voice. "We just helped where we could."

Volstagg shook his head. "Nonsense. I would've died from the wounds Hela inflicted on me if it weren't for all of you. You saved my life."

"And ours as well." Hilde said with a grateful look on her face. Amora and Lorelei smiled at Peter. "All of you are true heroes like our King."

Thor got up from his chair and clapped a hand on Peter's shoulder. "You're one of us now. We are proud to call you all fellow Asgardians."

Peter looked to Wanda and Maria, who smiled and decided to go along with it. They still felt like this was unnecessary but it would be rude to decline at this point. The young Spider nodded and looked back to the King of Asgard.

"We're honored, Thor." Peter said. "Thank you."

Thor shook his hand. "The honor is ours. If you all ever need anything, we will be here to help."

The Asgardians let out a cheer and applauded as some of them went to the Midgardians to congratulate them. Erika gave Wanda a big hug while Volstagg shook hands with Maria. Bjorn introduced his wife to Peter, who profusely thanked him for saving her husband's life. Spidey just humbly nodded and ruffled the hair of Bjorn's infant son. They stepped aside so Hilde and her daughters could thank the young Spider.

Amora and Lorelei pecked a kiss on both sides of Peter's face, making him blush. Hilde just giggled before she pulled Peter in for a gentle hug.

A table with refreshments was already set up in the back and everyone grabbed something to eat or drink. The warm and relaxing atmosphere was a very welcoming one in contrast to the dread and fear they'd been feeling last week. Wanda and Maria were talking with Thor, Volstagg, and Hilde. Erika took the children back to their quarters so she could put them to bed, much to their chagrin. Loki had no desire at the moment to mingle with anyone so he quietly left the observation room.

Valkyrie grabbed two drinks from the table before she walked up to Peter, who was chewing on some sweet bread.

"So how does it feel to be one of us?" She asked, handing him one of the cups.

Spidey smiled as he took a sip. "Really cool...although it's still kind of hard to believe."

"After everything you've all done to help us, it was the least we could do to show our gratitude. Cheers."

The two clinked their glasses together and drank a bit of their respective beverages. In her cup was Asgardian wine while the young Spider's cup had some fruit juice as she remembered him saying he wasn't old enough to drink.

"Do you know where we're headed now?"

Valkyrie nodded with a smile. "We're headed for Earth. Maria gave me the idea and I suggested it to Thor."

"Really? That's great...but are your people okay with that?" Peter asked.

"Don't worry, nobody had any objections with our King's decision. Out of all the other worlds in this universe, Midgard is the one that's the most similar to what Asgard once was."

"How long will it take to get there?"

Valkyrie thought about it for a moment. "I can't be certain but we are flying at top speeds already. Based on where we are right now...we should get to Earth in about seven to eight months."

...

 **\- I'm assuming the Hulk didn't turn back to Banner until after Thanos beat him down and Heimdall sent him to Earth by the power of the Bifrost. For the duration of the trip at least, the Hulk won't revert to Bruce.**

 **\- I don't know if Valkyrie's real name is Brunhilde...the official sources never exactly clarified that. In Ragnarok, the woman who pushed Valkyrie out of the way from Hela's attack was implied to be the Brunhilde that we know in the comics. Till next time, folks.**


	34. Chapter 34

**\- Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 comes out soon...I just wish it wasn't made for the Nintendo switch only. Out of all of them, the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance was the best one in my opinion. It had a good story and the cutscenes were really good.**

 **\- Like I said before, the previous chapter and this one will be a drabble of sorts.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter wasn't sure he heard right. "It'll take seven months to reach Earth?"

Valkyrie nodded. "Yeah. Why? Is there a problem on Earth right now?"

"No, nothing like that. There's some people back home who are waiting for us to return...but we were only meant to be gone for a few days. With the Bifrost bridge gone, I'm guessing Heimdall can't send anyone to Earth, right?"

"He can but without the Bifrost bridge, it requires a tremendous amount of dark energy just to transport someone. We decided it was best to save it in case of an emergency...sorry."

Spidey patted a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, it's not your fault. We'll just explain what's happened once we reach home. It's not like any of us could've predicted Hela was going to attack Asgard, right?"

Valkyrie chuckled. "That's true. The bright side is that we'll have a lot of time to get to know each other better."

"I'm looking forward to it." Peter said with a smile.

She smiled back at him before they clinked their glasses together again. The new ruler of Asgard approached them with a glass cup of scotch in his hand.

"Enjoying yourselves?" He asked.

The young Spider nodded. "Yep. How does it feel to finally be the King of Asgard?"

"A little scary, to be honest." Thor admitted. "It won't be easy fulfilling the role of a leader like my father did."

Peter could only imagine all the new responsibilities and duties Thor has to handle now that he's a King. With such a huge weight on his shoulders, he hoped the God of Thunder would be able to persevere. The only other option for a King was Loki if Thor decided to step down and the Asgardians probably wouldn't accept his leadership after the lacklustre effort he put into the role last time.

"I can see why...it's a lot of pressure. I don't know how much help I can be but if you ever need anything, I'll be there."

"You can count on my support as well, your majesty." Valkyrie said.

Thor gratefully bowed his head. "Thank you. I shall call on you both if I ever need assistance."

Wanda and Maria walked over, looking sleepy. They were still exhausted from the battle against Hela's forces and their nap earlier only helped to fend off the weariness for a little while. Peter himself was feeling tired too but his enhanced stamina made it easier for him to ignore it for now.

"Congratulations on finally taking the throne, Thor." Hill said. "Thank you for making us honorary Asgardians. You didn't have to do that though."

"Nonsense. You've all more than earned the title. It was the least we could to thank you."

Wanda smiled. "We were happy to help. Peter, Maria and I'll head back to our room first so we can get some sleep."

"Okay. I'll be there soon."

She and Hill kissed both of Peter's cheeks before they turned around and left the observation room. Thor chuckled when he saw young Parker blush while Valkyrie just smirked.

"Time for me to return to my quarters too." She finished the rest of her drink. "After such a tough fight, I feel like I could nap for a few hundred years. See you guys later."

Valkyrie waved to them as she walked away, leaving the God of Thunder and Spider-Man alone. The other Asgardians slowly began to disperse and leave too. Volstagg came up and shook their hands while Hilde bowed to her new King. She gave Peter one more hug before they left to rejoin their families in their respective quarters.

"Think I'll take one more walk around the ship before I retire for the night. Would you like to join me?" Thor asked.

"Sure." Peter said, following him out of the room.

...

The God of Thunder and Spider-Man wandered the halls, enjoying the silence. Hela's reign over Asgard lasted only a week but it had felt like an eternity to them. This was the first time in a while they felt at ease and it was nice not having to look over their shoulders every few seconds. Given their line of work though, they weren't sure how long it would last.

"So Mjolnir is gone?"

There was a sad look on Thor's face as he nodded. "Hela destroyed my hammer with one hand. I'm still not sure how she did it."

"Having seen what she could do, I'm not surprised." Peter said. "Hela is easily the most powerful person I've ever fought."

"Indeed. It's a shame we had to stop her...she would've made a strong ally."

The young Spider remembered the last words he and Hela shared. As much as the suffering she made her own people go through couldn't be condoned, Peter felt a little sorry for Hela. All she ever knew was a life full of conflict and when it came time for the violence to end...she couldn't adjust to it. Her own father even imprisoned her for something that was arguably his fault to begin with.

"Yeah...I know Hela was our enemy but I can't help but feel bad for her." Peter muttered. "I guess that's kind of dumb, huh?"

Thor shook his head with a sad smile. "Not at all. I understand what you mean. Despite all the harm she's done, Hela was still my sister."

Something set off Peter's Spider sense all of a sudden, making him stop in his tracks. This time was a little different though. Instead of blaring intensely like it usually did, his Spider sense was buzzing in a subtle fashion. It was like whatever it was warning him about wasn't a threat...yet.

"What's wrong?" Thor asked.

"I'm not sure but my Spider sense is warning me of something." Peter searched around before he spotted a lone room at the end of the hallway. "...It's coming from in there."

The new King of Asgard looked to where Spider-Man was pointing before he cautiously walked towards the room. Peter followed him, taking care not to make any noise. Thor motioned for him to stand on one side of the doorway while he stood by the other.

"You ready?

Spidey nodded. "Let's do this."

"On the count of three then." Thor said, clenching his fists. "One...two...three!"

The God of Thunder broke down the doors with a single kick. They burst inside, ready to fight whatever was waiting for them. The room was more spacious than they thought and it was almost empty. A few metal crates had been stacked against the walls and some blasters were scattered all over the floor. There was a lone figure sitting in the middle by the window, although they couldn't tell who it was given how dark the room was. Something was sitting by the individual...a beast of some sort by the rough shadow.

"Who are you?" Thor demanded as he approached the mysterious individual.

"Hello, brother."

Peter and the King of Asgard recognized that familiar voice immediately and their movements froze. The mysterious individual stood up and stepped towards them...revealing herself to be none other than Hela. The beast sitting by her turned out to be Fenris, who was shrunken down to the size of a normal hound. She made her way to Peter and nuzzled her head against his leg. The Asgardian wolf appeared to be alright but the Goddess of Death was a different story...her clothes were slightly torn and part of her green cape had been scorched off.

She wasn't wearing her trademark helmet. There were minor burns on her face and a bit of blood was dripping down from the side of her head.

"How did you get on board? You were still on Asgard when Surtur destroyed it."

Hela gave a little smirk. "I opened a portal to safety just as the fire demon's blade was about to strike me down. I sensed Fenris to be in the depths of space and grabbed her before I teleported onto your ship."

Said Asgardian Wolf was now smiling as Peter scratched her behind the ears. He wasn't sure if Hela was here to kill everyone but considering his Spider sense wasn't warning him of any danger, they were probably safe for the moment. Thor looked to him to check if he was sensing any sort of a threat and Peter shook his head in a subtle fashion.

"...Are you here for vengeance, sister?" The God of Thunder asked.

Hela stared at her brother square in the eye and solemnly shook her head. "I give you my word...I am not here to fight. Asgard is gone and so too are my previous ambitions. Now I simply wish to find...a new direction in this life."

Thor understandably scoffed. "You expect me to just believe you after everything you've done?"

"I know you have no reason to trust me...which is why I formally surrender. I am your prisoner or you are more than welcome to execute me right now if you wish."

"You really have no desire to harm anyone. What brought about this sudden change?"

Hela gazed at Peter, remembering the words he spoke. "I was told there was more to me than simply being a weapon of conquest. I want to see if that's true."

Thor took a deep breath before he finally turned to Spider-Man. "What do you think, young Parker? Should we just throw her off the ship?"

Surprised that the King of Asgard was asking for his advice, Peter looked at the Goddess of Death. The burn marks on her face seemed like they hurt...although there wasn't any visible signs of her being in pain. The minor wounds on her body were healing rapidly but at a slower pace than they'd seen before. It was probably because with Asgard destroyed, the boost to her already formidable abilities was no longer present.

Even so, he had never seen her look so roughed up before. It was a far cry from her regal like appearance a week ago. They could just throw her off the ship like Thor suggested...but he didn't feel like that was the right thing to do. The Goddess of Death hadn't shown any intention of harming them and she willingly surrendered just now.

"No." Peter finally said, sensing that she wasn't lying. "Hela's surrendered and she hasn't made any attempts to attack us. Just take her prisoner for now."

"You do remember that she terrorized you, Lady Wanda, Lady Maria, and my people, right?"

"...Did your brother not do the same thing once on Earth?"

Thor wasn't expecting to hear that but he didn't argue. What Spidey said was true...despite all the crimes the God of Mischief committed against humanity, he still forgave Loki and gave him a chance at redemption. His brother proved himself to have changed at least a little for the better when he came back to save their people. As much as he didn't dare believe Hela's sudden change of heart, Thor decided to give his sister the benefit of the doubt.

"Fine...but let me make myself clear, sister. If there's even the slightest hint of your intent to harm anyone on this ship at all, I will not hesitate to kill you." Thor warned.

"I understand." Hela said before she smirked. "You may find killing me to be quite a difficult task though."

"Young Parker, stay here and keep an eye on her. I will go and arrange for someone to watch over my sister in a cell."

The God of Thunder walked out of the door, leaving Spider-Man and Hela alone in the room. Fenris had fallen asleep while they were all talking and she was taking a nap beside the webslinger.

"Young Parker? I had a feeling your real name wasn't Spider-Man."

He nodded. "That's just my superhero alias. My name is Peter Parker."

"It's an honor to officially meet you, Peter." Hela said, offering her hand.

Spidey hesitated for a moment before he took her hand and shook it. The Goddess of Death staggered a bit on her feet as her eyes fluttered quickly. Peter gripped Hela's shoulder to help keep her steady.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little weary. It took a lot of energy to teleport myself and Fenris onto this ship."

Peter helped Hela to the floor and sat beside her. "Here, just sit down and take it easy."

"Thank you." She said, chuckling when Fenris suddenly got up and laid in between them.

Hela ran her hand down Fenris's soft fur with a smile on her face. Peter had never seen such a gentle expression on the Goddess of Death's face before...it was actually kind of nice to witness. The Asgardian wolf let out a quiet growl of content as she napped away on the floor.

"Fenris really likes you. I've never seen her so comfortable in someone else's presence before."

"I like her too." The young Spider admitted, petting the sleeping wolf's head. "What you said earlier...were you serious about it?"

Hela nodded. "Very much so. I no longer have any desire to rule the cosmos. That was what Odin once wanted, not I."

"You know...I'm finding out about a lot of Odin's flaws every time you or Thor speak of him."

Hearing that made her laugh. "You've never met the Allfather, have you? If you'd like, I can tell you the truth about him."

Peter didn't have any problems with that. They still had to wait a while before Thor returned anyways. He made himself comfortable as Hela began to talk about the real Odin's character and personality.

...

"You can't be serious."

"I understand you and her have a bad history but no one else is better suited to guard Hela." Thor said, doing his best to calm down the angry woman.

Valkyrie tightened her grip around the whiskey bottle in her left hand. "...That murderous hag killed the love of my life. She also came back to Asgard and attacked our own people. Why the hell didn't you just throw Hela off the ship?!"

The God of Thunder rubbed the back of his head. "Because despite everything she's done, Hela is still my sister. Besides, there's no honor in executing someone who's willingly surrendered."

That apparently was the wrong thing to say because Valkyrie threw the glass bottle at his head. Thor was just barely able to duck out of the way in time. The whiskey bottle hit the wall behind him and shattered into many tiny shards of glass.

"To hell with honor! You really think Hela deserves mercy after all that she's done?"

"...No, I don't but that isn't about what you or I think. This is about doing the right thing."

Valkyrie scoffed. "The right thing? Hela wouldn't have hesitated to kill us both."

Thor nodded in agreement. "That's true...or at least it once was. Hela's given me her word that she isn't here to hurt anyone. All I'm asking you to do is to keep an eye on her. If she breaks her promise, you have my permission to kill her."

She folded her arms, still hesitant about doing this.

"At least think it over." The God of Thunder said. "I should get back to young Parker. He's been watching over my sister for the past hour."

"What did you say?"

"Hm? Oh, I asked the Man of Spiders to stay with Hela while I set up a cell for her."

Valkyrie immediately grabbed the King of Asgard by his arm before he could leave. "Fine, I'll do it...but only because I don't want that witch anywhere near Peter."

Thor was caught off guard by how fast she changed her mind but he knew better than to complain. Valkyrie grabbed another bottle of whiskey before she followed him out of her room. There was no way she was going to guard the Goddess of Death completely sober. The two of them walked back to the room where Hela and Spider-Man were. They found the young Spider sitting on the floor, fast asleep with his back against the wall.

Hela was dozing comfortably on Peter's shoulder and in between them was Fenris as she napped away on the floor.

"Young Parker?" Thor said quietly. "Wake up."

Peter opened his eyes and let out a yawn before he smiled at the God of Thunder and Valkyrie. "Welcome back. You took a while."

The God of Thunder chuckled, remembering how long it took to convince Valkyrie to come along. Valkyrie nudged Hela by the leg, waking her up from her brief nap.

"Get up. I'll be the one making sure you don't cause any trouble while you're a prisoner here."

"I remember you. You were one of the many Valkyrie warriors Odin sent to stop me."

"Oh really?" Valkyrie glared at the Goddess of Death. "Do you remember how you murdered all of my sisters in cold blood?"

Hela met her gaze with a serious look in her dark eyes. "I do and for what's it's worth...I'm sorry about what I did."

Valkyrie could feel her frustrations growing but she managed to calm herself down by taking a deep breath. She grabbed the Goddess of Death by the arm and began to lead her to the cell that was awaiting on the floor above. Fenris woke up and nuzzled her head against Peter's leg once more before she followed her owner.

"Will they be okay?"

"I...think so." Thor said. "You should get some sleep. It's been a very long day."

A yawn escaped Peter's lips. That sounded good to him...he wasn't sure he would be able to stay awake any longer anyways.

"Good night, Thor."

"Sleep well, Man of Spiders. I'll see you tomorrow."

Peter nodded before he left the room and headed back to his quarters, where Maria and Wanda were waiting for him.

...

The next morning or at least they assumed it was morning, Spider-Man explained to Hill and the Scarlet Witch about Hela being on the ship and how she escaped Asgard before it was destroyed. The two of them listened to all the details and when their boyfriend was finished speaking, they took a moment to think in silence. Peter patiently waited for them to think things through as he relaxed on their bed.

"...So Hela's on board right now?" Maria asked.

"Yeah. Valkyrie is keeping watch over her in a cell on the floor below."

Wanda placed her hand on top of Peter's. "I don't know why you chose to spare Hela...but I believe you made the right choice."

"Really? I thought you'd be mad."

"Well, I'm not exactly comfortable with the idea of a former tyrant being on board but we're not cold blooded killers either."

Hill nodded in agreement. "As long as Hela doesn't try to attack anyone, I'm okay with it. Is it true that it'll take at least seven months to get home?"

"That's what Valkyrie said." He answered. "The _Statesman_ is already flying at top speeds."

"Couldn't Heimdall just use the power of the Bifrost to transport everyone to Earth?" Wanda asked.

"No. Without the Bifrost Bridge, it would take a huge amount of dark energy to transport this many people. They decided to save the use of it in case of an emergency."

Maria let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. I thought it'd take at least a year or two to get home."

The young Spider nodded. "So did I. This is pretty cool though...I never thought I'd get to travel through space. If this was me three years ago, all the geeking out I'd be doing would've probably make me faint."

"I'd love to see that." Wanda said jokingly. "You look like an adorable puppy when you sleep."

Peter playfully glared at the young Sokovian woman before he chuckled and placed his arm around her shoulders. "Is that why I sometimes catch you staring at me when I wake up?"

"I'm not the only one. Maria does the same thing too."

"Guilty as charged." She said with a smile. "...You know we'll have to explain our long absence to Natasha and the others once we get home, right?"

"Yeah. I hope everyone is okay back there." Spidey muttered. "We haven't heard anything about Earth in a while."

"...Maybe we can ask Heimdall to check on Earth. Isn't he able to see everything in this universe?" Hill suggested.

"It couldn't hurt to try. I'll ask about it the next time I see him." Peter said.

Maria nodded before she laid down beside Peter and rested her head on his chest. They weren't in the mood to do much today except laze about in their room. After all the chaos that's happened last week, they just wanted to relax for a while. There wasn't a tv but Peter explained earlier to Maria and Wanda that Karen had stored some of their favourite films in her memory banks. The A.I. could materialize his mask with one of his web shooters and project the movie on a holographic screen from the blank lenses.

They were going to watch a movie tonight in the recreation room...although which one they'd be watching was still up for debate.

"Have we decided what film we're watching later?" The young Spider asked.

"I'm good with anything." Wanda said, shrugging. "Do you have a recommendation?"

Maria thought about it for a moment. "I have a few ideas. We'll decide on something once we get to the recreation room tonight. Maybe we should invite Thor and the others to join us. It might help keep their minds off the fact that Asgard was destroyed."

Peter nodded in agreement. Watching a fun film would help the Asgardians to relax a little better. Thor had always been interested in seeing a human movie before anyways. This seemed like the best opportunity for him to finally do so.

...

 **\- I was surprised by how many people had asked for me to bring back Hela and Fenris. I know teleporting isn't exactly the most original way of doing so but considering Hela's first appearance was through a portal to Norway, I figured it was enough to bring her back in this.**


	35. Chapter 35

**\- In the official MCU timeline, two years have passed since the Civil War amongst the Avengers. I couldn't make Peter and the others fly through space for that long so I figured seven months would be the right amount of time.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

"Thank you for inviting us, Peter."

Spidey looked up from his web shooter. "No problem. I'm glad you all decided to join us."

He had asked Thor and Sif if they'd like to watch a movie with them in the recreation room. The two of them agreed and they brought along Valkyrie as well as Hilde and her daughters. The Asgardians were very curious about the moving pictures that served as entertainment for their human friends. After a short discussion, they chose to watch Gladiator as it was a film the Asgardians would find some familiarity with. Wanda and Peter was worried about the film being a little too gory for the kids but Hilde said it was okay...apparently, Amora and Lorelei had already witnessed their mother cut down an enemy before.

Neither Hill or the two youngest Avengers knew what to say about that so they dropped the matter. While Peter and Maria were setting up the movie, Wanda helped Hilde prepare a few snacks. There wasn't any popcorn but Hilde made some sandwiches while the young Sokovian woman placed some of the snacks May had packed for Peter onto a plate. Valkyrie brought the drinks, which wasn't a surprise to anyone but she also provided some non alcoholic beverages for the kids too. Hill looked to the couch and smirked before she gently nudged Peter. She motioned for him to look over at the couch. The young Spider did so...and smiled at what he saw.

Lady Sif was sitting next to Thor with her head laying on his shoulder. The God of Thunder's cheeks were coloured a twinge of pink as he slowly placed his arm around her.

Peter and Maria shared a chuckle together before he finally got his trademark mask to materialize. The lenses lit up and began to project the movie through a holographic screen. Thanks to some tinkering that Hill did, the quality of the film was in high definition. Wanda and Hilde came back with two plates of sandwiches and a tray of cookies and chocolate bars. Valkyrie put the bottles of drinks on the table...the alcoholic beverages were set to the right while the non alcoholic drinks were placed on the left.

Thor and Sif smirked out of intrigue when he saw Valkyrie sit down next to Peter. There were many other empty seats in the room and yet she chose to sit by the Man of Spiders. Wanda sat on Peter's other side. Amora made herself comfortable on Maria's lap while Lorelei snuggled into her mother's side.

Wanda leaned on Peter's shoulder as the movie began to play. Amora grabbed a chocolate bar from the plate to try out the Midgardian snack and took a bite...her eyes lit up at the sweet flavour. The little blonde girl immediately devoured the rest of the chocolate bar, smearing a bit chocolate on the side of her face. Spidey chuckled at how excited Amora looked. She turned to him and Peter handed her a napkin so she could wipe off the chocolate smear on her face. Amora blushed a little out of embarrassment as she took the napkin. The last thing she wanted was to look immature in front of her family's saviour.

Peter didn't mind though...it was nice to see Amora acting more her age.

"Yes!" Valkyrie quietly cheered at the scene where Maximus manages to escape from his would-be executioners.

Thor and Lady Sif were really into the movie too, their eyes never leaving the holographic screen. Lorelei and Amora winced every time someone was killed but they still watched the film with great interest. Peter grabbed some fruit juice for Wanda and himself. She thanked him before they took a sip, enjoying the sweet tangy taste of the drink.

Midway through the movie, Valkyrie checked the time and let out a quiet curse.

"Something wrong?" Peter whispered.

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I just forgot I had to bring some dinner to Hela."

"I could do it for you."

"What? No, you don't have to."

Spidey got up from the couch. "Nah, it's fine. You just sit and enjoy the movie. I'll be back in a sec."

Before Valkyrie could say anything else, Peter grabbed some sandwiches and a bottle of wine before he left the room. Hela's cell was located on the floor below this one. Once Spidey stepped out of the elevator, he made his way down the hall. There were two guards standing in front of the door to the room where Hela was being held and they let Peter pass. There weren't any jails or cellblocks on the ship so Thor had Loki and a few of the Asgardian spellcasters conjure up a powerful makeshift prison. The prison wouldn't able to stop Hela completely but it would still require a bit of effort on her part if she ever tried to break out.

The Goddess of Death was reading one of the many books that Thor had provided for her when Spidey entered. She looked up from her book and gave him a warm smile.

"Hello, Peter."

"Hi, Hela. Hey, Fenris."

The Asgardian wolf let out a happy bark and wagged her tail as he approached their prison.

"I brought you some supper." Peter said, sliding the food and bottle of wine through a small opening. "I hope you like ham sandwiches."

"Thank you." Hela took half of the sandwiches and gave them to Fenris, who immediately began to eat. "Would you like to join us?"

"No, thank you. I already ate my dinner. Have they been treating you right?"

The Goddess of Death nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich. "Things have been fine. Valkyrie grumbles about having to babysit me but she hasn't made any attempts to kill me yet."

Peter smirked...he knew Valkyrie would like nothing more than to rip out Hela's heart. The fact that she hasn't tried anything yet was a small miracle.

"Doesn't seem like there's much you can do around here." He said, looking around her rather small prison. "Doesn't it get a little boring sometimes?"

"Not at all. Compared to my previous prison, this is like a small vacation."

He'd almost forgotten about the fact that Odin imprisoned her in Hell. "Oh...I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Hela reassured. "Do you know where this ship is bound for? No one's told me anything about that yet."

"We're traveling to Earth. They said it would take about seven months to get there."

"Your home planet? Interesting...perhaps you could show me around once we arrive?"

Spidey shrugged. "Maybe. So long as you continue to demonstrate that you've really changed, I think Thor will let you out sooner or later."

Hela nodded in understanding. "I know. There's still a long way to go though before my people are ready to accept me as one of them."

Thor had told the other Asgardians about Hela's survival and her being a prisoner aboard this ship. Most of them were unnerved by that but they trusted their King enough to keep her from doing anything harmful. With the exception of Valkyrie, Thor, or himself, nobody else even dared to approach her prison.

"They will one day." Peter said with a gentle smile. "I should get back. The others are waiting for me. See you later, Fenris."

Fenris sadly whined, not wanting to part with the young Spider so soon. Hela comforted the wolf by petting her head.

The Goddess of Death smiled back at Peter. "Come back soon. I'm fond of the conversations we have."

Spider-Man nodded before he turned around to exit the room, leaving Hela and Fenris alone in their prison.

...

When Peter returned to the recreation room, the movie they had been watching was paused. Maria noticed the young Spider coming in and she made her way over to him.

"What's going on? Why'd you all pause the movie?" He asked.

She gently tugged Peter towards the others, who were looking at Lorelei with worry as her mother tried to comfort her. Amora was doing her best to calm her sister down but the little redhead was still crying behind her hands.

"You remember that scene in the movie where Maximus's wife and son are killed by the Praetorian guards before their house is torn apart?" Hill whispered. "It reminded Lorelei of Asgard being destroyed and she started feeling a little homesick."

Now he understood why Lorelei was in tears. Only a day had passed since they were forced to flee from the destruction of Asgard...the loss of her long time home was still fresh on her mind.

Peter sat down beside her. "Lorelei? Hey, you alright?"

The little redheaded girl looked up at Peter and threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest.

"I-I'm sorry. I just miss home." She whimpered.

Spidey patted her back soothingly, not really knowing what to say. The others didn't have a clue on how to help either. Valkyrie and Maria were especially lost as they didn't have any experience when it came to comforting a sad child. Hilde ran a hand through her daughter's hair...just her presence alone helped to soothe the ache in Lorelei's heart albeit not completely.

"It's alright to miss your home." Peter whispered, patting her back. "It could be worse though."

"How?"

He nodded towards Amora and Hilde. "...You could've lost your mother and sister too."

Lorelei froze. The thought of her mother and Amora being gone was terrifying. She didn't even want to imagine such a situation.

"I'm sorry we couldn't save Asgard but once we get to Earth, you can build a new home with your family. One that will be just as better."

"...Will you be there to help us?" She asked.

Wanda put her hands on Peter's shoulders and smiled warmly at Lorelei. "We all will, sweetheart. That's a promise."

Maria gave the child a reassuring nod, as did Valkyrie, Thor, and Lady Sif. Lorelei smiled back at them and got up to give the Scarlet Witch a hug. Hilde gently held Spidey by the arm and whispered her gratitude for comforting her daughter.

Amora reached for Peter's hand. "Thank you for helping my sister."

"Anytime. So should we finish the movie or save it for tomorrow?"

Lorelei immediately rushed over and pulled him to the couch. "Let's watch the rest! I like this movie."

The others let out a lighthearted laugh before they all sat back down. Amora and Lorelei sat beside their mother, watching the film with rapt attention as it continued to play. Valkyrie cracked open another beer while Thor hugged Lady Sif close.

"You did wonderfully with Lorelei." Maria whispered, leaning her head against Peter's.

"Really?"

Wanda snuggled into the crook of his neck. "It's true. You'd be a good dad one day."

Peter pressed his lips on the young Sokovian woman's cheek. "Maybe. I'm just glad she's feeling better."

The three of them stayed quiet as they paid attention to what was happening in the movie. His mouth formed a little smirk when he peeked over and saw the look of excitement on Lorelei's face.

...

The next few months passed by without any incident. Peter and Maria spent a lot of time with Valkyrie as she decided to train them in the art of using a sword and spear in battle, with Spidey wielding a spear and Hill using a sword. It was actually fun and challenging...of course, they always lost in every one of their training sessions. Even with his superhuman speed and strength, he could barely defend himself from Valkyrie's attacks. She held back whenever it came time to spar with Hill but the former shield agent wasn't able to beat her either. The Asgardian woman had thousands of years worth of experience in combat and seeing her in action was breathtaking.

They improved little by little after each defeat. Valkyrie would always take the time to point out what they did wrong and explain how to avoid making those mistakes.

Wanda was often with Lady Sif, learning more advanced healing magic from her. Hilde helped out as well by showing her how to make and use some of the Asgardian healing salves and potions. Oddly enough, Loki taught the Scarlet Witch how to cast illusions with her magic. When Thor questioned his brother about why he was aiding her, Loki simply said that he had nothing else better to do. Volstagg and Thor made sure to keep an eye on the God of Mischief whenever he instructed Wanda so he wouldn't try anything.

The young Sokovian woman felt uncomfortable being near Loki but she had to admit the ability to cast illusions with her powers was a very useful one. Now she was able to disorient the enemy not only mentally but also physically as well.

Peter often visited Hela in her cell whenever he wasn't training with Valkyrie. The Goddess of Death had been alone for many millennia and the young Spider thought the least he could do was provide her some company. They talked about a lot of things, ranging from him describing some of the other superheroes and heroines on Earth to her telling him some intimate details about herself that nobody else knew. Hela trusted Peter and she saw him as a confidante of sorts.

Sometimes he'd enter her cell so they could talk more comfortably. Fenris was overjoyed to be near Spidey and she always sat down next to him as he spoke with her owner.

Eventually, Thor decided it was time his sister deserved to be around her people again after four months of being imprisoned. He warned her though that if she caused any trouble, he would throw her right back into her cell. Hela gave her word that she and Fenris would not harm anyone. Valkyrie naturally was asked to keep close to her. She still despised Hela but had grown a little tolerant of her presence. Peter and Thor noted how she wasn't threatening the Goddess of Death as much anymore.

The other Asgardians were wary being around Hela but they didn't shun her away at the very least.

Fenris proved to be quite a hit with the children, at least in her down sized form. The Asgardian wolf was often seen playing with the kids or giving them rides on her back. Hela on the other hand didn't interact with her people much...she knew it would still take some time before they were ready to talk with her. She spoke to her brothers on some occasions. The topic of their discussions was always about Asgard and the Goddess of Death would regal them with stories about the early history of their city.

Thor and Loki were quite surprised to hear about their father's old warmongering ways...such details contrasted with the Odin that they grew up with.

Most of the time though, Hela was always hanging out with Peter. He was the only one she felt the most comfortable with. They usually just walked around the ship and talked about whatever came to mind. Of course, Valkyrie was with them too but there was never any interruptions from her and sometimes she even contributed a sentence or two of her own to their conversations.

After the end of the fifth month, the ship was running low on fuel and supplies so they stopped at a place called Xandar. Valkyrie knew some of the people in the Nova Corps and it was they who helped to refuel the _Statesman._ Peter and Thor accompanied her to the fueling station so she could pay what was owed for the fuel and supplies they received. The young Spider could barely contain his excitement as they strolled through the alien city. The technology here was light years ahead of Earth's. The Xandarians weren't different from humans appearance wise but Valkyrie explained that Xandarian blood was coloured blue rather than red and they were biologically more durable than humans.

Because Peter was wearing his nanotech suit, some of the Xandarians gave him strange looks. If it wasn't for the fact that his mask was down, they probably would've thought he was an alien of some unknown origins. He didn't pay any attention to it as they entered what seemed to be a highly advanced office. Valkyrie looked over and giggled at the adorable curious expression on Peter's face...which unnerved Thor a little. He had never heard Valkyrie giggle before.

"It's alright if you want to look around, Peter." She said. "Just don't wander too far."

Spidey blinked twice before he gave her a grateful nod and stepped out of the office. The sky was a lot brighter than it would be on Earth...which wasn't surprising since Xandar orbited around three suns. The Xandarians must've developed a natural way to dampen the brightness in their eyes so they could see. Peter wondered what Mr. Stark would say if he was here right now. Knowing him, he'd probably come up with some odd nickname for the people.

There was this awesome floating skyscraper in the distance that he just didn't take his eyes off of. Spidey was so focused on it that he didn't notice the individual who was walking straight towards him. It wasn't completely his fault as the woman was busy looking at the mini computer on her wrist. In her right hand was a cold alien beverage...coloured blue for some reason.

The two of them bumped into each other head first, the collision making the woman accidentally drop her drink. Peter regained his bearings first and quickly caught her drink just before it could hit the ground.

"Sorry about that. Are you okay?" He asked.

The woman nodded with a friendly smile. Now that Peter could see her face, he had to admit she was quite beautiful. Her long blonde locks gently brushed the side of her face thanks to the light breeze that was flowing through the air. She was wearing an old Airforce jacket over a futuristic form fitting red and blue uniform. In the centre of her outfit was a curious star like symbol.

"I'm fine. It was my fault anyway. I should've watched where I was going." She said, taking back her beverage. "Thanks for catching my drink. You got some nice reflexes."

Spidey smirked. "I'm just glad I was able to catch it in time. What is it you're drinking? I've never seen it before."

The blonde lady looked at him strangely. "This? It's Xandarian iced tea. I thought all of you Xandarians knew that."

"Oh, I'm not from this planet."

"I see." Now that she thought about it, it made sense. The suit he had on didn't look like any of the clothing the Xandarians wore. "So where are you from?"

He held out his hand. "Earth. My name is Peter Parker."

"Really? So am I." She was pleasantly surprised and shook his hand firmly. "I'm Carol. Carol Danvers."

This was probably the first time in decades that she's run into a fellow human this far out in the universe. Carol's eyes lingered on Peter's face for a minute...he was handsome in an innocent yet dangerous sort of way. The suit he wore was really well designed and it did a nice job of showing off that nice firm butt of his.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. So what brings you all the way out here to Xandar?"

Peter nodded towards the fueling station. "We just stopped to refuel and resupply our ship."

Carol saw a large travel vessel docked at the fueling station. There were numerous resupply vehicles docking into the ship's landing bay. "Seems like you've been traveling for a while."

"Yeah. We've been flying from Asgard for the past few months. We're on our way to Earth."

"Did something happen in Asgard?"

Spidey let out a sheepish chuckle. "Heh...uh, it blew up about five months ago."

"What? How?"

"It's a long complicated story."

Carol frowned out of disappointment. Asgard was one of the few places in the galaxy the cosmic powered superheroine's never been to but there were a lot of good stories about the place that she's heard of. She had always intended to visit the place but now there would never be the chance to do so.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you get here from Earth?"

"Oh, I haven't been back to Earth in years. I flew here from another planet to pick up some supplies for my friends." She explained, thinking of Talos and Soren.

"You flew here? I didn't think we had ships for intergalactic travel on Earth."

A chuckle escaped her lips. "I don't think the people back home will be ready to travel through space for a long time but that's not what I meant. I flew here on my own without the use of a ship."

Peter's eyes widened. "You mean you're able to fly into outer space?"

Carol nodded before she raised a fist glowing with golden cosmic energy. "Yep. That's not the only thing I can do."

"Wow...that is so cool." He said in awe. "I wish I could do that with my powers."

"You have superpowers too?"

Peter didn't believe there was anything wrong with telling her the basics of his abilities. "Yeah, I have superhuman speed, strength, and reflexes. I can also climb and stick to practically anything. I can't fly though."

Carol smirked. "It's a very useful ability but don't feel bad. Your other powers are just as good once you master them."

That's what Natasha and Maria always told him during training. The young Spider never argued with it because he knew they were right. If it weren't for their efforts in helping him to hone his abilities, he'd probably still be making some reckless mistakes in the field. The little computer on the superheroine's left wrist suddenly let out a loud beep, notifying her that the box of supplies she ordered was ready to be picked up.

"...Looks like things are ready. I'm afraid I have to go now." Carol said with a bit of reluctance. She was really starting to enjoy Peter's company.

Peter nodded and held out his hand. "It was nice to meet you, Ms. Danvers."

"Call me Carol." She shook his hand before an idea suddenly came to mind. "Do you have some kind of communication unit in your suit?"

"Yeah. Karen, could you open a private comms channel between Carol and I?"

 _"Of course, Peter. One moment please..."_

"Who was that?" Carol asked curiously.

"That's Karen. She's an A.I. who helps run the systems in my suit."

 _"Private channel established."_ Karen informed.

The cosmic powered superheroine quickly typed away on her wrist computer. "Give me a moment."

Spidey waited patiently on the side. Once Carol was done typing, Karen added some new contact information into his suit's database. His mask quickly materialized around his head and showed a unique seven character code on his HUD.

She had to admit Peter's mask looked very cool, especially the glowing blue lenses. "Your mask is really badass. Anyways, I just sent you my personal communications code. Call me whenever you want to talk."

"T-thank you!" Peter said, looking like an excited kid. "I promise I'll call you."

"Peter!" Valkyrie yelled as she motioned for him to come back. "It's time to go!"

"On my way! I guess this is goodbye for now."

Carol playfully tapped her fist on his shoulder. "See you later, Peter. You better give me a call soon or else I'm coming to Earth to find you."

Peter chuckled and waved to her before he headed back to Valkyrie. Captain Marvel watched Peter leave...specifically his well toned ass as he walked away.

"I'm definitely looking forward to seeing you again, Peter Parker." Carol whispered with a sly smile before she left to pick up the supplies for Talos and Soren.

...

 **\- I hoped you liked the early appearance of Carol at the end. I've always been a Spider-Marvel fan.**

 **\- I don't know much about Xandar and neither did the official sources. They only gave the basic details about the planet and it's inhabitants.**


	36. Chapter 36

**\- So they just recently announced the planned films for Marvel Phase four...I was a little disappointed to not see any Spider-Man titles in the line up. The only ones I'm looking forward to is the Black Widow movie and Thor: Love and Thunder. I know next to nothing about the Eternals and I was never interested in the Blade films.**

 **...**

Valkyrie took a look at the blonde woman Peter was just talking to. "Who was that?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's Carol." He explained. "I bumped into her by accident and we got to talk to each other for a bit. Why?"

"...She's beautiful."

"You think so too?"

Valkyrie nodded with a small smile. "Absolutely. She reminds me of someone I used to know."

The name wasn't mentioned but Peter knew who Valkyrie was referring to. She told him once about her previous lover...a fellow member of the Valkyrie who had been killed by Hela a long time ago. The young Spider never met the woman but if he had to guess, Carol probably resembled her in some capacity.

"You okay?" He asked.

Valkyrie wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "I'm good. C'mon, let's get back to the ship. Thor's waiting for us and we're almost ready to take off."

Peter walked with her back to the _Statesman_ , thinking about Carol on the way. He would be sure to call her soon in the near future.

...

Another month passed as they continued to travel through the stars. True to his word, Peter made sure to call Carol at least once a week. He introduced her to Maria and Wanda. Hill had never met the cosmic powered heroine personally but she has read the file that Fury made about her. Carol was surprised to learn her old friend was once the former Director of SHIELD and asked how he was doing now. Maria explained to her the intelligence organization fell a few years ago thanks to Hydra and Nick was currently in hiding.

Danvers was a little worried but she knew her old friend was able to take care of himself. She did ask Maria to tell Nick to be careful though. Wanda and Carol grew to be quick friends due to them getting their respective powers from similar sources. They talked to each other about the nature of their abilities a lot. Captain Marvel often gave the Scarlet Witch helpful advice in how to use her abilities in unique offensive ways.

Peter told Carol the basics of everything she's missed in the last two decades...specifically with movies and music. The look of excitement on Danver's face was a very memorable one when he told her about the new Star Wars films that have been released during her absence. She promised to come back to Earth soon so they could have a Star Wars movie marathon together. He was really looking forward to showing her all the prequels and new trilogy.

Thor's relationship with Lady Sif had grown stronger as well in that time. The two of them were often seen in each other's company, smiling away as though they didn't have a care in the world. The others couldn't be happier for them...especially Volstagg, who once said it was about damn time they finally got together.

The man had gotten drunker than usual when they celebrated Thor and Sif's budding relationship with some drinks one night. All of them laughed hard at the scolding Erika gave her husband the next day.

Brunnhilde's relationship with Spidey was also growing stronger everyday. The others noticed how Valkyrie seemed to be much more happier whenever Peter was with her. Wanda and Maria weren't too surprised to learn of the Asgardian woman's growing feelings for their boyfriend...Peter had a way of warming his way into someone's heart without even trying. What did catch them off guard though was how well Hela and Peter seemed to be getting along.

Granted very few others wanted to be near the Goddess of Death but that didn't seem to bother Hela at all. So long as she could spend time with the young Spider, Odin's Firstborn was content. Maria once walked into the recreation room and saw Hela reading one of her Asgardian books while Peter was busy looking over the schematics of his nanotech suit on a holographic screen. The Goddess of Death would steal glances at him with a small smile on her face every time she turned a page.

Hill could only shake her head out of bemusement...she knew Peter wasn't doing it on purpose but his goodhearted nature and charms were earning him the affections of two of the most powerful women in the universe. Neither her or Wanda could blame Hela and Valkyrie either. After all, they fell in love with Peter too for nearly the same reasons.

Spidey was currently adding an upgrade to Karen's processor core in their room when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist from behind.

"What are you working on?" Maria whispered, laying her head on Peter's shoulder.

He smiled. "Just installing an upgrade for Karen. It should increase her processing time by fifteen percent."

"There isn't anything wrong with her, is there?"

"Not at all. She asked me to run a diagnostic check on her and I just thought it'd be nice to give her a minor upgrade. She is my partner in battle after all. It's only right that I take care of her."

Hill smirked before she pecked a kiss on Peter's cheek. "That's very kind of you. I'm sure Karen appreciates it."

 _"Indeed I do, Ms. Hill."_ The A.I. suddenly said. There was a hint of warmth in her synthesized voice. _"Thank you, Peter. You are the best partner an artificial intelligence like myself could ask for."_

"Anytime, Karen." Peter smiled before he turned to face Maria. "Where's Wanda?"

"She's training with Lady Sif and Hilde. I think they're teaching Wanda how to remove poisons from the bloodstream."

"Whoa...she can do that with her powers?"

Hill shrugged as she held Peter close. "I don't know. They're probably trying to find that out right now."

"I hope Wanda can. It'd be a very useful skill to have."

"Yeah. You know I was thinking...maybe we should ask Heimdall to check the situation on Earth before we arrive home."

Peter looked at her with some concern. "You think something bad has happened?"

Maria shook her head. "No. At least, I hope not. A lot can happen in six months though and I just want to be sure we won't be blindsided in case something has gone wrong in our absence."

The young Spider understood her point and it was a wise precaution to take. He wasn't a pessimist or anything but the recent track record of something bad occurring on Earth was ridiculously high.

"I agree. I'll find Heimdall later and ask about it."

Hill leaned in and kissed Peter quickly before someone knocked on their door. The two of them went to the door and the young Spider opened it. On the other side was Hilde and her family. Standing next to her was Valkyrie, who greeted them with a lazy wave. Lorelei and Amora immediately ran up to hug Peter by both of his legs.

"Whoa!" Spidey chuckled as he took a step back. "Hello, Amora. Lorelei. It's good to see you both."

The two girls smiled at him before they embraced Maria as well. The former SHIELD agent wasn't expecting to be hugged by Lorelei and Amora at all but she slowly placed her arms around them.

"Hello, girls." She greeted, patting their heads.

Hilde and Valkyrie entered the room before they closed the door. Valkyrie immediately headed to the mini-bar to grab herself a drink while Hilde's daughters pulled Maria and Peter to the small couch. Amora made herself comfortable on Peter's lap while Lorelei sat between Maria and her mother.

"So what brings you all here?" Spidey asked.

Hilde ruffled her youngest daughter's hair. "The girls wanted to spend some time with you all. I hope we aren't intruding."

"Of course not." Hill said, hugging Lorelei close.

"You should've seen what we saw in the observation deck." Valkyrie sat down next to Peter with a glass full of bourbon. "Our own King of Asgard was getting all touchy with Lady Sif."

Peter's eyes rose a little. "Really? They didn't notice you guys at all?"

"Nope. It was like they were lost in their own little world. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that their relationship is going so well but you would think they'd be more discreet when there are children around."

Hilde let out a sigh. "There wasn't really any harm done but I don't want my daughters to witness such acts until they're old enough."

"...Are they still there?" Maria asked.

Valkyrie shook her head. "No, they went back to their quarters shortly after we walked out of the room. I'd advise you all wait a few hours before any of you decide to go up to their floor."

That sounded like a good suggestion to everybody. Hopefully, there was no one else in the vicinity of their room either. Amora tugged on Spidey's shirt to get his attention.

"What's up?"

"Lady Wanda told us that you were a great singer." She said with intrigue. "Is it true?"

Peter sheepishly chuckled. "Uh, I'm okay. I don't know if I'd call myself great though."

Maria's lips formed a smirk. "He's just being modest. Wanda, Thor, and I heard him sing once and he was pretty damn good."

Lorelei had a look of excitement on her face. "Could you sing for us, sir Peter?"

"Lorelei! Where are your manners?" Hilde scolded.

"It's alright, Hilde. I don't mind." The young Spider said before he tried to decide on what to sing.

There was one song that had been on his mind the past few days. His uncle Ben used to play it sometimes as he worked. Because he and Ben had Irish ancestry in their roots, the older man had a small collection of classic Irish songs on some of his CDs. This song was one of his favourites from said collection.

"I guess this one will do. Karen, could you play out the tune for _The Parting Glass?"_

 _"Certainly. One moment please."_

Everyone gathered around Peter as some soft music began to play from his web shooters. Valkyrie sat a little closer, curious and intrigued to hear his singing voice.

Peter cleared his throat before he slowly began to sing. _"...Of all the money that ere I had, I spent it in good company. And all the harm that ere I've done, alas it was to none but me."_

Maria smiled...the way he sang was different than the last time she heard him. His voice was more softer and slower to fit the setting of the song but it was still pleasant to listen to.

 _"And all I've done for want of wit, to memory now I can't recall. So fill to me the parting glass. Good night and joy be with you all."_

Hilde, Amora, and Lorelei held their breaths as they listened to Spider-Man sing. The song sounded so gentle yet sad at the same time.

He paused for a moment so the right beat could come up. _"Of all the comrades that ere I had, they are sorry for my going away. And all the sweethearts that ere I had, they would wish me one more day to stay."_

Those last few words resonated with Valkyrie...the Asgardian woman often wished she and her past lover could've had at least one more day together. Like Hilde and her daughters, she was amazed by how good Peter sounded.

 _"But since it falls unto my lot that I should rise and you should not. I will gently rise and I'll softly call "Good night and joy be with you all!"_

Hill rested her head on Peter's shoulder and closed her eyes. The doors to their room slid open before Thor walked in with Lady Sif and the Scarlet Witch. Valkyrie gestured for them to stay silent by placing her finger in front of her nose. The God of Thunder nodded, knowing it was best not to interrupt the Man of Spiders. Sif watched Peter in awe as he sung the traditional Irish song. Wanda just smirked and listened attentively to Peter..it's been a while since she last heard him sing.

 _"A man may drink and not be drunk, a man may fight and not be slain."_ Peter ruffled Amora's hair as the lyrics continued to flow out of his mouth. _"A man may court a pretty girl and perhaps be welcomed back again."_

"Young Parker is talented, isn't he?" Thor whispered.

Lady Sif nodded. "Indeed. Why didn't you tell me he could sing so well?"

"I haven't heard him sing in a long time so it must've slipped my mind. I think it's better that you found out this way though."

She couldn't argue with that...just being told about Peter's talent for singing wouldn't have been the same as hearing it firsthand.

 _"But since it has so ordered been by a time to rise and a time to fall. Come fill to me the parting glass, good night and joy be with you all. Good night and joy be with you all."_

Peter sang the last of the lyrics before he took a moment to catch his breath. The others in the room clapped their hands and gave Spidey a well deserved round of applause. The young Spider just scratched the back of his head with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Wanda sat down and pressed her lips against Peter's. "You sang beautifully as always."

"Thank you."

Lorelei looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "That was so good! Could you sing another song, sir Peter?"

Hilde pulled her youngest daughter back. "He's already done that for us, Lorelei. Let him rest."

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Valkyrie playfully nudged Peter by the shoulder. "Got any other hidden talents you're keeping from us?"

"Well, there is the fact that he bakes the best desserts Wanda and I have ever tasted." Maria said with a smirk.

"Really?"

Thor nodded with a grin. "Indeed. The lemon meringue pie young Parker makes is exquisite."

"I would love to try some then." Lady Sif said. "Would you be able to make this lemon meringue pie for us, Peter?"

He really wanted to but some of the ingredients that were needed to make the dessert wasn't available on the ship. Apparently, lemons, chicken eggs, and flour weren't universal food items.

"I'd bake one now but some of the ingredients I need are found on Earth only. I tell you what though...once we get home, I'll bake a lemon meringue pie for everyone."

Everyone agreed to that with an eager nod, especially Amora. The blonde teenager had developed a bit of a sweet tooth for Midgardian desserts ever since she first ate some of the snacks May had packed for her nephew. Wanda and Maria were excited too...they haven't had any of Peter's cooking in a long time.

...

 _Two days later..._

"That's it! Keep pressing your attack!"

Peter obliged and thrust the tip of his training spear at Valkyrie. The Asgardian woman parried his blow to the side with her wooden sword before she swung the blade at his ribs. Spidey quickly raised the middle of his weapon to block her strike. Removing one of his hands from the handle, Peter drove a swift punch into Valkyrie's gut. Valkyrie stumbled back a few steps from the blow, giving him another chance to attack.

The young Spider leapt up before he brought his spear down on Valkyrie's head. She managed to avoid being hit by taking a quick step to the side. Her hand grabbed Peter's weapon and pulled him in. Valkyrie jabbed the hilt of her sword into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he fell on his back.

"Ouch...think I almost puked out my lunch just now." Peter muttered, lifting his head. The Asgardian woman sat on top of him and held the point of her sword just slightly above his throat.

"Do you surrender?" She asked with a smirk.

He raised his hands. "You win. Sorry I couldn't give you more of a challenge."

"No, that was a fun match. You've improved a lot since we first started training. You and Maria are fast learners."

"Well, we have a good teacher."

Valkyrie smiled before she set her sword down and straddled Peter's hips. She leaned in close, her lips just a few inches away from his.

"Uh...Valkyrie?" He said, looking a little confused.

The Asgardian woman didn't say a word as she kissed Peter. The young Spider was caught off guard for a second before his hands cupped her face and he kissed Valkyrie back. While Peter was still surprised by what was happening, he knew better than to question the moment at this point and to just run with it. Their lips remained locked together and muffled moans began to escape from the Asgardian woman when Peter slipped his tongue past her teeth.

"Whoa..." She said breathlessly, pulling back with her face flushed a dark red.

"Does this mean...?" Spidey trailed off.

She knew what he was asking. "...I didn't believe I'd ever fall for anyone again after I lost my first lover. When we met though, my heart felt something powerful. It was similar to what I once felt for her and I knew then letting you go would've been the worst mistake of my life."

"...You know about my relationship with Wanda and Maria. There are two more women with whom I'm involved with back home. Is this what you really want?"

"Absolutely." Valkyrie said without hesitation. "I've never been more certain of anything."

Peter gazed into her hazel eyes for a moment before he finally smiled. "...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in love with you either."

Valkyrie passionately pressed her lips against Peter's again. This time, she returned the favor and pushed her tongue down his throat. Peter moved his hands beneath her tank top and massaged her breasts. Valkyrie shivered out of delight as she grinded herself against Peter's hardening groin. He was about to take off her tank top when someone suddenly cleared their throat at the doorway.

"Forgive me for interrupting." Heimdall said with a small grin of amusement. "But there is a matter of importance that I wish to speak with the Man of Spiders about."

Valkyrie just glared at the former Gatekeeper for disturbing her romantic moment with Peter. "This couldn't have waited till later?"

"I'm afraid not. It concerns something that he asked me to look into on Earth."

The young Spider knew what Heimdall was referring to and with a quick apology to Valkyrie, he stood up. "What have you found out?"

Heimdall motioned for him to follow. "...I think it's best if we talk about this with the others."

Peter nodded before he turned to Valkyrie. "Would you like to come along?"

"Sure. That bastard owes me an explanation for ruining our moment anyways."

"...You realize I heard that, right?" The former Gatekeeper said, looking back at her.

Valkyrie didn't bat an eye as she held Peter's hand. "You were meant to."

Spidey let out a nervous chuckle...he really hoped the two of them wouldn't begin to fight. Heimdall led the way to the observation deck, where Thor, Maria, and Wanda were already waiting. The God of Thunder's mouth was slightly agape when he saw Valkyrie and young Parker holding hands as they walked in together. Hill and the Scarlet Witch just smirked in contrast...they knew Valkyrie had been planning to profess her feelings for their boyfriend. When the tough Asgardian woman wanted something, she didn't hesitate to go after it.

"I did as you asked, Man of Spiders. I've been checking on Earth for the past two days." Heimdall said before he hesitated. "I won't lie...what I've learned isn't exactly good news."

Peter shared a concerned look with Maria and Wanda. "...What have you found out?"

The Gatekeeper knew it was best not to sugarcoat any details. "First and foremost, the Avengers are no longer a team."

That immediately caused some alarm for all of them except Valkyrie. She didn't know much about the Avengers except for the fact that Peter and Wanda were members of this superhero team. Thor used to be as well but because he hasn't been on Earth for a long time, his current status as an Avenger was unknown.

"What? When did that happen?" Maria asked.

"I don't know...all I could gather was that the ones called Captain America, Falcon, and the Black Widow have been deemed outlaws by your world's governments."

"Natasha is now considered a criminal? She signed the Sokovia Accords though." Wanda muttered, looking very confused.

"I couldn't find out how or why it's happened." Heimdall said. "A man called Ross has been leading the charge into hunting down your friends but they have gone into hiding."

Maria clenched her fist in anger at the sound of Ross's name...of course that government dog would be the one to try and arrest her friends. She took great comfort in the fact that Natasha and the others were able to elude his forces thus far.

"What about Mr. Stark?" Peter asked.

"Ah, the one called Iron Man...he is focused on rebuilding his relationship with the woman called Pepper. I can't be certain but it seems like a great deal of time has passed since he last donned his armour."

Spidey wasn't expecting to hear that but it was nice to know his mentor and Ms. Potts were back together again.

"Goddamn it. We leave Earth for a little while and everything goes to hell." Hill cursed.

"Maria, we've been gone for almost six months." Wanda reminded.

Thor had been silent the entire time, thinking deeply about everything he's heard. It saddened him to learn of the falling out amongst his friends...what could've possibly driven them to turn on each other?

"So what are we to do then?" He finally said. "I still intend to arrive on Earth but we might not be so warmly received based on what we just learned."

Maria thought for a moment. "If we find a remote enough place to land, I can contact Fury. He still has some pull with the world governments...we should be able to find a home for your people."

The King of Asgard agreed to Hill's suggestion with a nod. It wasn't the most reassuring plan but nobody else had a better idea. There was a worried look on Peter's face as he thought about Natasha and the other fugitive Avengers.

"I hope they're alright." He muttered.

...

 _Back on Earth..._

"Are you out of your damn mind?"

Natasha rubbed the side of her head with a exasperated sigh...she more than expected this reaction from her oldest friend. She was visiting Hawkeye and his family, having not heard anything from them since Clint made a deal with the FBI a few months ago and was subsequently placed under house arrest. She naturally came wearing a disguise...the most notable part being her red hair having been dyed blonde and cut short. Natasha made doubly sure she wasn't followed or tracked on the way to the Barton farm.

Steve and Sam were keeping an eye out for any of Ross's forces in the town just a fair distance away.

Natasha had decided to tell Clint about her unique relationship with Peter. Laura made sure the kids were playing outside first before she and her husband listened to her explain all the details. Once Natasha finished explaining everything, she waited for their responses. Laura had a look of uncertainty on her face. The mother of three wasn't sure what to say...on the one hand, she was happy that the Black Widow finally found someone to be with. On the other though, Laura wasn't expecting to learn she was in such an unusual relationship.

In contrast, Clint made his objections known right away. The scowl on his face almost made Fury look friendly in comparison.

"...I take it you don't agree?"

"That's an understatement." The archer said with a snort. "I thought you and Banner were together?"

Natasha shook her head. "Not anymore. What I had with Bruce was nothing more than...a temporary interest."

It was true. The romantic spark that she and Bruce once shared was no longer there. Her feelings for Peter was much more stronger. She still cared about Bruce though and regarded him as one of her good friends.

"So you decided to fall in love with Peter, someone who's barely just out of his teenage years. If that wasn't enough, Wanda and Maria decided to share him with you."

"Forgive me, Clint...but I don't really see what the problem is." She interjected. "We've been happy together."

Hawkeye let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh really? Has it ever occurred to you that Peter is the only one who's 'happy'? He's just using you to make himself feel good. That punk probably only sees you all as trophies to be shown off."

"Clint!" Laura yelled, stunned by how her husband actually thought of Peter. They didn't even know the webslinger that well and yet here he was, making baseless claims about him.

The Black Widow felt her anger bubble but she managed to keep it in check. "Have care with what you say, Clint. I don't know if this is because you never liked Peter but don't you dare try to demean him in front of me."

"That has nothing to do with it." He argued.

"No? Then why are you assuming the worst about Peter when you don't even know him that well?"

Clint growled out of frustration. "Nat, I'm just trying to help you see reason."

"I don't need your help. Despite what you mistakenly believe, _Мой любимый паук_ is too kindhearted to view us in such a degrading way. He treats me and the others with adoration and respect. It's one of the many reasons why we love Peter." Natasha said with a frosty voice before she stood up to leave.

"I'm sorry we couldn't see each other under better circumstances. Give my love to your kids, Laura. "

Laura nodded and pulled her in for a friendly hug. "I will. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

Natasha gave her a sad smile. "I wish I could but we can't risk staying in one place for too long...and there's no way I'm gonna put your family in danger with me being here."

"...Maybe once everything goes back to normal, you could bring Peter here. I'd love to meet him."

"He'd be glad to meet you too."

The Black Widow headed towards the front of the house and grabbed her shoes. Just as she was about to open the door, Clint suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder.

"I still don't approve of your relationship with that punk."

"I wasn't asking for your approval and I sure as hell don't care what you think." Natasha said coldly, shrugging away his hand before she walked out the door.

Clint and Laura just watched her leave in silence. As Natasha headed back to her car, she wondered about Peter, Wanda, and Maria. Something big must've happened in Asgard...they would never be gone this long without at least informing her or one of the other Avengers first. Natasha hoped they were alright and on their way home now.

...

 **\- Since Valkyrie is a woman who is attracted to both genders, I thought it'd be good to have her show an interest in Carol too. The internet is full of fan art and stories about them anyways.**

 **\- The attack on the _Statesman_ will happen in the next chapter. I'll have my work cut out for me in terms of writing it but I will do my best. See you all next time.**


	37. Chapter 37

**\- This chapter proved be one of the more difficult ones to write. There are quite a few action scenes in this one so I had to take great care in describing them. I am used to writing fighting sequences now but it's still challenging sometimes.**

 **\- I've just beaten Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 and the story was okay. I still think the first one was the best though. Enjoy.**

 **...**

After Heimdall finished explaining the situation on Earth, everybody decided it was best to disperse so they could process the information on their own. The two youngest Avengers headed back to their room. Laying together on the bed, Wanda snuggled her head on Peter's chest with her eyes closed. She could sense the unease in his mind though...he'd been staring blankly at the ceiling for a while now.

"You alright?" Wanda asked.

Peter blinked twice before he looked at her and gave a small smile. "I'm fine."

"...You're worried about her, aren't you?"

"How'd you guess?"

The Scarlet Witch smirked. "I'm a telepath, remember? I'm worried about Natasha too but she's the ultimate superspy. She won't let herself get caught so easily."

"You're right. Where's Maria?"

"She's talking with Valkyrie outside. We noticed earlier how you two were holding hands...Brunnhilde professed her feelings for you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, back when we were training." He said. "I hope you two aren't mad."

Wanda climbed on top of Peter and propped her chin up with her hands. "Of course not. I admit we were a little annoyed by the fact that another woman has joined us...but neither Maria or I can fault her for falling in love with you."

"I'm not even sure how this is happening. I wasn't exactly popular with the ladies when I was younger. Most girls just pretended like I didn't exist."

"Well, as I said before...those girls were morons for ignoring you. You're a handsome young man and you know how to make a woman feel good about herself. Then there's the fact that you can be so adorable when we least expect it."

Peter chuckled as he caressed the side of her face. "I think you're exaggerating a little about me. I'm a damn lucky guy though...to have such a beautiful and warm hearted woman like you by my side."

Her face turned a twinge of pink before Peter leaned forward to kiss her. Wanda smiled against Peter's lips, eagerly kissing him back. The young Spider pulled away and began to peck gentle kisses on her neck. Quiet moans of pleasure escaped from the Scarlet Witch's mouth every time his soft lips brushed against her skin. As she tried to remove his shirt, their room shook violently all of a sudden.

Peter and Wanda stopped what they were doing and looked around. "What was that?"

The doors to their quarters slid open before Valkyrie came rushing in. Maria was right behind her. "Did you all feel the ship shake just now?"

"We did." Spidey said. He grabbed his web shooters from the table and slapped them onto his wrists. "Karen, what's going on?"

 _"A missile of unknown origins just struck the port side of the Statesman."_ The A.I. explained before her sensors picked up another incoming projectile. _"Brace yourselves!"_

As she said that, another missile struck the ship again. The room shook violently from the impact. Some of the glass bottles in the bar fell from the shelves and shattered upon hitting the floor. Maria stumbled a little but Peter grabbed her arm to hold her steady.

"Thank you." Hill said.

Peter nodded as Valkyrie headed back out the door. The rest followed her outside, where they saw some of the Asgardians looking around with alarm and confusion. Brunnhilde gently pulled Spidey with her into the elevator.

"You two get everyone on this floor to the launch bay." She said, pointing to Maria and Wanda. "If this is an attack, we need everyone to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Peter and I will evacuate the floor below."

The Scarlet Witch and Hill nodded before they left to do as she asked. Valkyrie pressed the down button and the elevator descended to the next deck. A powerful explosion suddenly tore a hole in the outer hull at the front. Karen materialized the nanotech suit around Peter's body...there was no doubt in his mind anymore. Something or someone was definitely attacking the _Statesman._

Once the doors slid open, Brunnhilde and Spidey rushed out to find the Asgardian people on this floor in a similar state of panic. Peter spotted Hilde amongst the crowd and he made his way over to them.

"Peter! Thank goodness." She said, looking very worried. "What's happening?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "We're under attack...I don't know by who or what but everyone needs to get to the launch bay now."

Valkyrie nodded in agreement. "Could you and some of the others help move everybody to the launch bay? Don't worry, we'll protect you all on the way."

A bestial cry suddenly echoed from down the hallway, making everybody freeze. Peter and Valkyrie moved to the back and stood ready to fight for whatever was coming. The enemies that approached were strange to say the least...they were aliens with six limbs that had sharp claws on the end. The black skin that covered its body looked horribly burnt and it lacked eyes of any kind on its face.

Whatever they were, they didn't look friendly...those fangs of theirs were poised to bite down on every Asgardian here.

"Karen, what the hell am I looking at?"

 _"I don't know...but these aliens are extremely feral and violent. I believe it would be best to put it down instead of incapacitating it."_

Without warning, the outriders charged towards the Asgardians. Spider-Man quickly lobbed a web grenade into the rushing crowd of aliens. When it exploded a second later, the first two waves of the enemy were completely trapped in place by thick layers of webbing.

"Go!" Peter yelled, looking at Brunnhilde as he leapt into action. "I got this!"

Valkyrie was reluctant to leave her boyfriend to fight the outriders alone but she knew he'd be able to beat them all. The safety of her people came first and she motioned for everyone to follow her. A few of the soldiers stayed behind to help Spider-Man fight the enemy. Thanks to the web grenade that he threw earlier, the Asgardian soldiers cut down many of the immobile outriders with relative ease.

"It is an honour to finally fight alongside you, Man of Spiders!" Volstagg boasted. He knocked back a couple of outriders with the handle of his axe before swiftly bisecting them in half.

Peter smirked behind the mask as he swung a left uppercut into an enemy's head. "Likewise, Volstagg! Heads up!"

The young Spider fired a strand of webbing at an outrider that tried to assault the portly man from above. The webbing stuck to its eyeless face and Peter yanked the outrider towards him before he clotheslined it across the neck. The alien fell to the ground in a dead heap, its neck broken from the impact.

 _"Peter, we should probably warn Maria and the others about the enemy boarders."_ His A.I. suggested.

"Good idea." He said. Karen opened a COM channel with Maria's communicator.

 _"Peter? Are you okay?"_ Maria asked. There was a lot of background noise that sounded like yelling and metal clanging on her end.

"I'm fine. What's going on over there?"

...

Hill quickly fired two rounds from her sidearm. The bullets penetrated through the skulls of two outriders. "We're under attack. A huge group of aliens swarmed into the launch bay. There's still a lot of civilians trying to get on board the escape shuttles."

The Scarlet Witch telekinetically lifted a dozen outriders into the air before she threw them out of the airlock. They quickly suffocated from the lack of oxygen and their bodies floated lifelessly in the vacuum of space. Near the entrance, Hela and Fenris were wreaking havoc on the enemy. The Asgardian wolf was biting and stomping down on any outriders foolish enough to approach the civilians. The Goddess of Death materialized multiple knives in the air behind her before she launched them forward. Her blades stabbed into the enemy without remorse, stabbing many in the head while some outriders were impaled to the wall with extreme prejudice.

 _"Valkyrie is on her way down with the rest of the Asgardian civilians."_ Peter reported before he grabbed an alien's arm and yanked it hard. The unfortunate outrider roared in pain as its lower right arm was pulled out of its socket. _"I'll come help as soon as we beat back the bad guys here."_

"Copy that...be careful." Maria said.

 _"You too."_

Wanda regrouped with her, looking a little breathless. "Was that Peter?"

"Yeah. Those things are attacking the floor he's on too. Valkyrie is bringing the last of the Asgardian civilians to the launch bay now."

"Good. That means the evacuation is almost complete. Who's attacking us though?" The young Sokovian woman asked.

"I don't know...but whoever it is, they're not messing around." Hill muttered

The room shook as the _Statesman_ was struck again by enemy fire. Some of the Asgardians screamed out of terror before they quickened their pace onto the escape shuttles. They had to hurry...the ship was quickly venting atmosphere and if Maria or Wanda stayed too long, they would suffocate from the lack of oxygen.

The Goddess of Death walked back to them, having killed off the last of the outriders for now. Fenris stood guard near the entrance and kept her senses sharp in case there were more incoming.

"How's our progress?" She asked.

Hill looked to the escape shuttles. "Everyone here is almost aboard. All that's left is to wait for Valkyrie and her group to arrive."

As if on cue, Brunnhilde and the rest of the Asgardian civilians entered the launch bay en-masse. The few soldiers that were left kept the rear protected alongside some of the gladiators from Sakaar. Amongst them was Miek and Korg, whom they ran into on the way down.

"Glad to see you're both alright." Valkyrie said, smiling at Wanda and Maria before her gaze turned to Hela. "...And you too, I suppose."

The Goddess of Death just nodded in acknowledgement. Her words just now greatly contrasted with what she would've said a few months ago. The Asgardians civilians that just arrived hastily made their way aboard the escape shuttles, doing their best to remain calm despite the present situation.

"I thought young Parker was with you?" Hela asked.

"He and some of our soldiers stayed on the floor above to fight off the enemy so our people could get away." Valkyrie explained.

The few gun emplacements on the _Statesman_ continued to open fire, laying waste to some of the enemy boarding crafts. They were no match for the _Sanctuary II's_ weaponry though as it bombarded the _Statesman_ with heavy fire. The energy and missile projectiles smashed against the hull, draining the ship of its shield strength bit by bit.

"The people should take off as soon as possible." Brunnhilde advised. She could tell the ship's structure was weakening from the barrage of enemy fire. "The _Statesman_ won't hold together for much longer."

"We can't leave without Peter and the others." Wanda said sternly.

Hill's communicator picked the young Spider's incoming signal. "Peter? Where are you?"

The others looked to Maria as she waited for him to respond. There was the sound of something getting punched, indicating Spidey was in the middle of fighting someone.

 _"Ugh! Still on the upper floor."_ Peter said, flipping over a strange hammer before it could hit his body. _"Volstagg and I are fighting some big dinosaur like alien. We've ordered the other soldiers to fall back to your position."_

Maria shared a look of concern with the others. "Hold on, we're on our way to help."

...

Spider-Man couldn't reply right away as he straight punched the dinosaur's flat nose, knocking him down on his ass. Volstagg swung his axe with the intent of cutting off his head but Cull Obsidian managed to roll out of the way in time. Volstagg's axe smashed harmlessly into the ground, creating a small crater.

"This thing's faster than it looks." Peter said, landing on his feet beside the portly man.

Volstagg nodded in agreement. "Aye. We should keep attacking though...if we can kill this thing now, it'll be one less threat to deal with."

"You have no chance of beating us."

His Spider sense warned of something coming in fast from behind and he pushed Volstagg out of the way before a spear flew past their heads. While Cull Obsidian moved to attack Volstagg, a large hand snaked around Peter's throat. With a burst of strength, she threw him towards the wall but Spidey fired two strands of webbing at the ground and pulled himself towards the enemy.

Peter planted a hard dropkick into the tall foe's face, making her reel in pain as she stumbled back a few steps. He observed the foe before him...she was a blue skinned alien who looked vaguely human. There were black horns that swirled around both sides of her head. The expression on her face was a combination of anger and shock, like she wasn't expecting him to retaliate at all.

"You know if you smile a little, you probably wouldn't look half as ugly." He quipped.

The woman just ignored the red and blue garbed being's words and pointed her spear at him. "Surrender now and I'll make your death relatively painless."

Peter let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh man, I'd love to but I'm allergic to being killed. How about you guys just leave now and nobody has to get hurt?"

"Not until Thanos gets the Infinity stone." Proxima Midnight said before she charged at Spider-Man.

Her spear thrust at his head with such speed, Spidey just narrowly ducked in time to avoid getting stabbed. Her attack didn't stop there as she tried to skewer him again and again. Thank to his Spider sense and reflexes, Peter was able to dodge her blows by a hair's breadth. Proxima put a little too much strength into her next thrust and when he flipped out of the way, her spear ended up getting stuck in the wall.

Peter took advantage of Proxima's momentary lull in battle and fired some webbing at her body. He yanked on the strand of webbing hard, sending her sailing through the air before she crashed hard against a pillar. The powerful impact made her spit out some blood as jolts of pain assaulted the nerves in her spine.

On the other side of the room, Volstagg and Cull Obsidian were still trading blows with each other. The dinosaur knocked Volstagg's axe out of his hand before he backhanded him into the wall. The portly man was disoriented from the blow but he regained his bearings just in time to stop the alien's hammer from colliding into his head. The two wrestled for control of the hammer as Volstagg gripped his hands around the handle.

Cull Obsidian pushed down on the top of his hammer with his scaly hand. Volstagg could feel himself losing the struggle and out of desperation, he kicked his leg up into the alien's groin. He would've laughed at the comical look of pain on Cull's face but now was not the time. Commandeering the weapon, Volstagg shoved Cull Obsidian back before he swung the hammer into his gut.

Spider-Man watched as Barney's scary alien cousin was sent flying through the air. Cull Obsidian landed head first into the ground, roaring incoherently in some weird language as he tried to stand.

"Impossible..." Proxima muttered, seeing her 'brother' injured.

"I don't suppose you'd be interested in surrendering no-whoa!" Spidey was interrupted when she swung her weapon at him again. He flipped out of the blade's path and landed safely just a few feet away.

Proxima Midnight let out a growl of frustration as she threw her spear. Peter twisted his body out of the way but the tall female alien swiftly closed the distance and punched the side of his head. Knocked off balance by the sudden attack, Proxima snapped her right foot forward and caught him in the floating ribs. Spidey exhaled explosively as his ribs nearly caved in.

"Time to die, you annoying insect!" Proxima snarled as a long thin blade was unsheathed from beneath her wrist.

"It's...arachnid, not insect." Peter joked, clutching his injured lungs.

Volstagg tried to intervene but he was being held back by Cull Obsidian, who grabbed onto his leg. A kite shield slammed into the blue haired alien just as she was about to stab Spider-Man's head. Proxima Midnight fell forward to the floor but she quickly got back up and glared at her new assailant.

"Don't you dare touch him." Lady Sif snarled. She stood defensively in front of Spider-Man.

Pointing her double bladed sword at Proxima Midnight, her eyes casted a worried glance at him. "Peter, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah." Spidey said, getting back to his feet. "Good to see you're okay...where's Thor?"

"He's taking on Thanos with the Hulk in the observation room. Heimdall and Loki are fighting two of his children in the same room." She explained. "Thor asked me to come down and check on the evacuation."

"We've almost got everybody aboard the shuttles." Peter reported before he noticed Proxima getting ready to attack again. "I'll explain everything after we kick her ass."

Lady Sif nodded with a smirk as she led the charge. Her sword swung at Proxima Midnight's neck, forcing her to move her head down. She lashed out with her spear in retaliation with the blade aimed at Sif's heart. Peter fired a strand of webbing at her weapon and pulled it to the side. Her spear ended up hitting nothing but the air and Sif quickly cut Proxima Midnight across the torso. Her armour took the brunt of the blow but the Asgardian woman still drew some blood.

Volstagg was duking it out with Cull Obsidian on the other side. The portly man had the upper hand though...thanks to the blow he landed earlier, the dinosaur found it difficult to breathe every time he moved to attack. Volstagg parried the hammer to the side before he swung his axe at his body. The axe head embedded itself into Cull Obsidian's upper left arm, forcing him to fall back as he roared in pain.

Enraged, he threw his hammer at Volstagg out of desperation. The Asgardian warrior dropped to the floor before the hammer could hit him...but he noticed too late that Lady Sif was in the weapon's path too.

Spider-Man and Sif were able to disarm the Daughter of Thanos with their combined assault and bring her down to her knees. Proxima Midnight's left arm and chest bled heavily from the cuts Lady Sif inflicted with her sword. The young Spider had punched her face so hard with his right fist that it nearly caved in from the powerful impact. Her nose was broken and her kidneys suffered severe contusions from when Peter drove a hard knee into her lower spine.

Neither the Asgardian woman or Spider-Man escaped the fight unscathed though...Proxima had managed to plunge her spear into Spidey's left leg just before their fight ended. The web bandage on his injury was the only thing keeping him from bleeding out. As for Sif, there was an ugly gash across her forehead and her right shoulder got dislocated when the alien woman struck her there with the butt of her spear.

Lady Sif was set to deliver the killing blow on Proxima Midnight when Cull Obsidian's weapon slammed into her spine. The Asgardian woman was launched into the wall, dropping her sword as she collapsed to the ground. The blow wasn't a lethal one fortunately but her limbs felt heavy and helpless for a few moments.

"Ugh..." She groaned, getting up on one knee.

"You've fought well. Rest assured...even in death, you will become a child of Thanos." Proxima Midnight said before she brought down her spear.

Spider-Man put all his strength behind his good leg and sprang forward...intercepting the blade with his own body just before it could hit Lady Sif. Sif watched in horror as the spear impaled Peter through his abdomen. Caught off guard by what just happened, the Daughter of Thanos let out a growl of annoyance and pulled her spear out of his body.

"Pathetic." All this fool has done is delay the inevitable."

The young Spider keeled over onto his back. Blood spilled on to the floor as it poured out of his new stab wound. Karen immediately administered an anesthetic and some disinfectants to keep her partner's wound clean. Much to Proxima's surprise though, Peter was still alive. His chest was rising up and down as he struggled to keep breathing. Lady Sif tried to reach for him but the blue haired alien punted her away.

"Still alive...impressive. No matter though, I'll just kill him now."

Volstagg overheard this but he was still occupied with Cull Obsidian. "Young Parker! No!"

Valkyrie suddenly sprinted into the room and slashed Proxima Midnight across the back with Dragonfang. She jabbed the hilt of her sword into Proxima's face, knocking her away from Peter. Cull Obsidian tried to help his 'sister' but they soon found themselves enveloped in scarlet energy and lifted into the air. A large pile of debris smashed into them, pushing the children of Thanos through two rooms. Maria ran forward and threw a couple of fragmentation grenades through the holes in the walls before they quickly collapsed.

It wouldn't kill the two children of Thanos but Hill was confident it would hurt them a little.

Lady Sif ignored the pain racking through her body as she ran to Peter's side and cradled his head with great care.

"Peter?" She called out, gently smacking his cheek. His mask had folded back into the suit. Blood was trickling down his mouth. "Peter! Please wake up!"

Spidey's eyes fluttered open before his lips quirked into a weak smile. "L-lady Sif...are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Don't talk right now. Save your strength."

"We need to move now." Valkyrie advised. "We'll be able to heal Peter once we get to a safer location."

Lady Sif gently lifted Spidey off the ground and carried him as they moved back to the launch bay. Peter raised his left hand and fired some webbing into his wound. It wasn't exactly his best bandaging work but it'd be enough to stop him from losing too much blood for now. Brunnhilde lead the way at the front while Volstagg kept them covered from the back. Wanda and Maria ran alongside Sif, with the Scarlet Witch managing to mend Peter's wound at least a little despite being on the move.

...

The ship was barely holding together now thanks to the constant bombardment it was taking from the _Sanctuary II._ Just outside the doors to the shuttle bay, they met up with Hela...who immediately raced over with Fenris when she saw the wounded Spider-Man. The Asgardian wolf was whining out of worry as she nudged at Peter's hand with her nose.

"Who did this?" She asked, her voice sounding calm in a scary way. They could all see a hint of cold rage in her eyes though...the Goddess of Death was not happy to see Peter injured.

Brunnhilde was about to answer when the floor suddenly exploded in flames. Valkyrie and Volstagg were thrown toward the shuttles while the others fell in the opposite direction. Lady Sif did her best to cushion Peter's fall so his injury wouldn't be further agitated. Maria immediately came over and helped her lift Spidey to a vertical base.

"Are you okay?" Hill asked, placing his arm around her shoulders.

Peter gave a weak nod...his vision was starting to blur. Maria shared a worried look with Sif before they moved to the shuttles. The _Statesman_ was starting to come apart and they needed to leave now. Brunnhilde and Volstagg ran into one of the ships. While the portly man went to check on his family, Valkyrie entered the cockpit and turned on the communication system.

 _"Everyone take off now!"_ She broadcasted. " _The_ _Statesman_ _is about to fall apart!"_

The engines on the first two shuttles roared to life and flew out of the launch bays. Valkyrie wasn't launching her shuttle yet until Peter and the others got aboard. They were just a few metres away when half of the floor beneath the last ship gave way without warning, sinking into the next deck. The remaining Asgardian civilians screamed in terror as their shuttle now teetered precariously.

Lady Sif and Hela grimaced...if Valkyrie didn't take off now, the spacecraft would fall into the new gap on the floor.

Maria quickly opened a private COM channel with Brunnhilde. "Valkyrie, you have to launch the shuttle!"

 _"No! I'm not leaving without you guys!"_

"We'll be the-"

The weakened floor beneath the shuttle finally crumbled and huge pieces of metal quickly descended into the deck below. Brunnhilde managed to turn on the main engines in time, keeping the ship afloat just before it could slam into the lower decks.

"Valkyrie, you have to leave now!" Hela said unexpectedly. "Our people's well-being comes first!"

 _"But-"_

"Go! Don't worry, I'll get them to safety."

Brunnhilde really wanted to know how her old nemesis was planning to do that but there was no time to ask. With much reluctance, Valkyrie piloted the shuttle out of the launch bay...leaving the others behind. The room was rapidly being obscured by clouds of flames, dust, and smoke.

"How are you getting us out of here?" Wanda asked the Goddess of Death.

"Give me a moment." Hela said before she closed her eyes and put her hands together.

Emerald wisps of magic gathered into her hands...it was subtle but there was a strained look on Hela's face. It was as if whatever she was doing required a lot more effort and concentration on her part. Peter was drifting in and out of consciousness. The webbing that bandaged his wound held firm but he was still losing blood at a steady pace.

The Goddess of Death pushed her hands forward and seemingly began to pull the air apart. A swirling portal quickly materialized in front of everyone...on the other side was what looked like grassy green fields of an unknown location on Earth.

"I've opened a portal to Earth." Hela said with gritted teeth. "Go! I can't maintain this for too long!"

None of them needed to be told twice. Lady Sif and Maria went through with Peter first before Wanda followed. Hela cast a backwards glance at the ship for a moment.

"...May the All-fathers grant you strength, my brothers." The Goddess of Death whispered before she entered the swirling vortex.

...

 **\- I didn't have all of the Black Order or Thanos make an appearance in this. They will appear soon though. As to why I compared Cull Obsidian to a dinosaur...it's what he reminds me of honestly. He's like an evil violent version of Barney, just one that wields a weird hammer.**

 **\- Spider-Man and Sif's battle against Proxima Midnight were planned to be roughly equal. After all, the Black Order are formidable enemies. It's true I could've had Hela square off against Thanos but that would end the story all too quickly. So I placed her and Fenris as the best line of defense for the Asgardian civilians and unlike in the movie, most of them will get away.**

 **\- Considering all the bad stuff that happens to the Asgardians in MCU canon, I figured the least I can do is make sure a great number of them survive.**


	38. Chapter 38

**\- Peter and the others are finally back on Earth. I'm still brainstorming ideas on how to proceed with the next few chapters after this one.**

 **\- I was a little hesitant at first to refer to Valkyrie by the name Brunnhilde since some people believe the woman killed by Hela in one of her flashbacks was the actual Brunnhilde. It didn't seem right to just keep calling her Valkyrie though so I figured giving her the name would be alright.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

As the portal closed, Maria took a look at their surroundings. They were standing in the middle of a grassy green field. There was a cliff nearby that overlooked the calm seas below. The sky was filled with grey clouds and there was a brisk breeze flowing in the air.

"Where are we?"

"Midgard." Hela said. She looked a little winded. Opening a portal to Earth from such a great distance proved to be a bit taxing, even for her. "I believe your people call this nation Norway...this is where my father passed away."

Behind them, Lady Sif gently laid Peter down on the ground. Wanda placed her glowing scarlet hands just above his abdomen before she began to heal the stab wound. Sif cradled Peter's head on her lap to provide him at least a little bit of comfort. Fenris sat down beside her, whining out of worry for the unconscious webslinger.

"If you were able to create a portal to Earth, why didn't you use it to evacuate the Asgardians earlier?" Hill inquired.

Hela shook her head. "I'm afraid that wouldn't have been possible. The distance to Earth was far too great and it took a tremendous amount of power for me to just open a portal here. I can only maintain such a distant portal for a few minutes at best."

Red tendrils of energy stitched Peter's wound closed. The young Sokovian woman managed to heal most of the damage caused by Proxima Midnight's spear. Maria took a moment to figure out their next step. They were able to make it back home and while the Asgardian civilians were still in space, she was confident Valkyrie would lead them to Earth safely. What remained unknown though was the fate of Thor, Loki, Banner, and Heimdall.

She hoped they were alright.

The smart thing to do now was to first find a secure place to lay low in for a while. With the Sokovia Accords in effect, Hill wouldn't be surprised if Ross's dogs came hunting down Peter and Wanda now. There was an old SHIELD safe house they could use in Norway...she just had to contact Nick Fury first so they could confirm it was still there.

Maria and Hela rejoined Wanda and Sif, who sat close to the young Spider.

"How is he?" Hill asked. She kneeled down and caressed her hand on the side of Peter's face.

"I've healed most of the damage that was done to his inner abdomen. He'll be fine...although I think we should have a medic take a look at him just to be safe." The Scarlet Witch advised.

Hela patted Fenris on the head as she gazed at the unconscious Spider-Man, relieved to know that his wound wasn't a mortal one. The Goddess of Death made a silent promise to hunt down the one that dared to strike him down and hurt them ten times as much.

"So what's our plan?" She asked.

Maria activated her communicator. "I know a place where we can lie low for a while. I just need to contact my old boss first and confirm it's still there."

She waited for the encrypted call to connect. There was a bit of static for a moment before someone finally picked up.

 _"...Glad you finally decided to report in, Hill."_ Fury said on the other line. _"Things have gone to hell here since you've left for your little vacation. I can't wait to hear your explanation."_

"Later, Nick. Right now, I need your help with something else."

...

 _Two days later..._

Peter woke up, finding himself laying down in a simple but comfortable white bed. The last thing he remembered before passing out was being carried by Lady Sif and Maria through the portal to Earth that Hela made. Someone had taken the time to remove his nanotech suit and his web shooters were set on the table next to his bed. There was an catheter injected to his wrist that was hooked up to an almost empty IV stand. He lifted his shirt to check the stab wound that Proxima inflicted...thanks to Wanda's healing, there wasn't even a trace of a scar.

His left leg was all fixed up too...although the muscles around it felt a bit sore and stiff. The young Spider knew it would be best not to push himself too hard for the next day or two.

Someone knocked on the door before they let themselves in. An unknown blonde woman stepped through, carrying a bottle of water with her. There was a friendly smile on her face as she approached him.

"Hey, Spider-Man. Glad to see you're finally awake."

Peter nodded cautiously. "Um, who are you?"

"Sharon Carter. I'm with the CIA but I used to work with Hill as a former agent of SHIELD." She introduced, handing him the bottle of water. "Here, I thought you'd like something to drink."

"Thank you." He said before taking a quick swig of water. "Where are we?"

Sharon pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed. "In an old SHIELD safe house on the outskirts of Norway. Fury sent me to bring you all here after Maria called. With the Sokovia Accords still in effect, Secretary Ross has been doubling down on his efforts to hunt down the Avengers that haven't signed it."

Peter frowned when Ross's name was mentioned. He never liked the old bastard but hearing about the Secretary General trying to arrest the heroes he respected just made him hate Ross even more.

"Have any of the Avengers been caught?"

"Hawkeye and Ant-Man made a deal with the government for the sake of their families. They're both under house arrest."

"Ant-Man?" Spidey asked curiously. "I've never heard of him."

Sharon smirked. "That's not surprising. Up until he joined Captain America's side, his activities have been pretty low key."

Peter had other questions but he could ask them later. Right now, he just wanted to see Wanda and the others. Sharon placed her chair back against the wall before she helped him get up from the bed. The young Spider pulled the IV stand with him as he exited the room. The CIA agent led the way to the briefing room, making sure to stay close to him in case he needed some help with walking.

The others were already in the briefing room and they were relieved to see the young Spider up and about...especially Sif. Nothing had frightened her more than to see Peter sacrifice himself to save her and it did her heart good to see him recovering. Fenris ran up to Peter and happily wagged her tail as he scratched her behind the ears.

"Hey, Fenris."

Wanda came up and gave Peter a hug. She had changed her clothes and was now wearing a black t-shirt with jeans. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks to you." He said with a smile.

Sharon smirked at the interaction between the two youngest Avengers. "You two are so cute together. Anyways, they've already told me about everything that's happened on Asgard. It sounds like you all had quite an adventure up there."

Spidey and Hela met each other's eyes before they chuckled. "That's one way of putting it, I suppose."

"You're going to have to tell me about the specifics some time soon...Lady Sif also mentioned that some alien tyrant named Thanos was on his way here to hunt down something called the Infinity stones."

"It's true." Sif said. "Have they arrived yet?"

The CIA agent shook her head. "We have all of the old SHIELD satellites monitoring anything that might enter our atmosphere. They haven't picked up anything so far."

"Where are the other Avengers?" Wanda asked. "If Thanos is coming to Earth for the infinity stones, he'll definitely go after Vision."

"Stark and Colonel Rhodes are the only ones who've remained at the Compound." Sharon replied. "Vision went into hiding with Captain America and his team a few months ago."

Peter wasn't expecting to hear that. "I thought Vision signed the Accords."

"He did...Stark asked Vision to stay with Cap's team to watch over them and make sure they're always one step ahead of Ross's forces."

The Goddess of Death and Lady Sif didn't say much as they had no idea who the other Avengers were or what these so called Accords are for. They were more concerned about Thor and the others who stayed behind to fight Thanos. Sif prayed they were all right...even Loki. Hela's face was stoic but she too thought about her brothers.

"I think you guys should take it easy for a bit." Sharon could see the subtle weariness on their faces...with the exception of the Goddess of Death. "I'll let you know if there are any updates with our satellites. There's a town north of here if you'd like to stretch your legs later."

Everybody nodded before they all dispersed. Hela left to help Lady Sif bandage up the minor wounds she suffered in battle while the Scarlet Witch followed Peter out of the room. Hill stayed behind to lend Sharon a hand and to ask her about anything else that might've changed in their absence. Peter and Wanda headed outside to get some fresh air. The sky was cloudy but the air seemed cleaner here than it would be in New York. Like Sharon mentioned earlier, they could see a small town just a few miles north of here.

"This place is so peaceful." The young Sokovian woman said, her hair flowing through the air thanks to a gentle breeze.

Spidey smiled in agreement. While it was cloudy outside, it wasn't unpleasant. "Yeah, it kind of reminds me of Asgard to be honest."

"...You know Maria and I were really worried when we saw you get impaled by that spear."

Peter pulled her in for a gentle hug. "I know...but that blue woman was about to kill Lady Sif. I couldn't sit there and let that happen."

"You were saving her life. I understand that...but I think Maria might be a little upset with you." Wanda whispered. "When you passed out as I was healing your wound, she almost thought you died. I've never seen her so scared before."

Hearing about Hill's near state of panic broke the young Spider's heart...she was almost never fazed by anything.

"I didn't mean to worry her so much." He muttered.

She cupped his face and gazed into his hazel eyes. "I know...she's just afraid of losing you. You should talk to her later."

"I will."

Wanda smiled before she pressed her lips against Peter's. "Don't worry, Maria knows you were only trying to save Sif. She won't be upset with you for very long."

The young Spider really hoped that was true. The last thing he wanted was to piss off a strong woman like Maria. There was something else that had to be taken care of first though. If he didn't do it soon, his ass was toast.

"What's wrong?"

Peter nervously chuckled. "Nothing. There's just something I need to do first...and I'm probably going to get scolded for being late with this."

Now the young Sokovian woman was really curious. "What do you need to do?"

"I have to call Aunt May."

...

Wanda reached over and held Peter's hand for support as they waited for May to pick up the phone. Her boyfriend looked nervous...apparently, his aunt could be quite the scary woman when she was mad.

The call finally connected and despite his nervousness, Peter was happy to hear May's voice again. _"Hello?"_

"May? It's me, Peter."

There was no answer for a moment. _"...Peter?"_

"Yeah."

 _"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?!"_ May spoke so loudly that Peter had to hold the phone away from his ear a little. _"Where have you been? I called Tony and asked him about where you were but he had no idea either!"_

"May, I know you're mad but please let me explain. Just calm down first." He pleaded.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. "This better be good."

Peter explained everything that had happened from the destruction of Asgard to their seven month trek across the galaxy. Wanda helped to tell parts of the story so he could take a break and catch his breath. It was a very lengthy tale and they did their best to make it short. May didn't interrupt and listened carefully to all of the details.

 _"So that's why you three have been gone for so long."_

"Yeah...I'm sorry, May. I should've called you sooner."

On the other end, his aunt shook her head. _"It wasn't your fault, sweetheart. You were on the other end of the galaxy. I would've been very surprised if a phone call made it here from so far away...is Thor alright?"_

"He and his brother were still fighting Thanos when we left the ship. I want to believe they're okay...but we don't know." Peter said, sharing a concerned look with Wanda.

 _"...I'm sure they'll be fine. Where are you now?"_

He was about to answer when his girlfriend tapped him on the shoulder. She nudged her head in Maria's direction, who just walked into the room with a data pad in hand.

"Go talk to her." The Scarlet Witch whispered, taking the phone. "I'll explain everything to May."

Peter and Wanda quickly kissed each other before he made his way towards Maria. The former SHIELD agent could hear Spidey approaching but she didn't turn her attention away from her work.

"...I guess you're still mad at me."

Maria slowly set down her data pad and turned around to look at Peter in the eyes. "I'm not mad. I just wish you wouldn't be so damn reckless with your life."

"Are you saying I should've just let Lady Sif die?"

"No...but why didn't you think of another way to save her?"

Peter didn't have a good answer for that. "I don't know. With all the injuries I took in the fight, I probably wasn't thinking straight. As soon as I saw Lady Sif in danger, my body just instinctively rushed in to save her."

Maria's eyes narrowed as she folded her arms. "Natasha and I taught you to always keep a rational mind in battle. I understand it's not easy to remember that when you're fighting but it could prove to be the one instrumental thing that keeps you alive."

"...I'm sorry."

Hill maintained her steely gaze for a moment before a sigh escaped her lips. "No, it's me who should apologize. I shouldn't be reprimanding you for saving someone's life. It's just...I've never had this kind of relationship before. I used to just keep things professional with everyone I worked with. Natasha was probably my only friend back then."

The young Spider gently caressed the side of her face. He'd never seen her look so vulnerable before.

She leaned into his touch. "You're the most important person in my life, Peter...the idea of losing you scares the hell out of me."

"You won't lose me." Peter said softly. "No matter who or what tries to kill me, I promise I'll always fight to stay by your side."

A small smile graced her face...she knew he always kept his word. Maria leaned in and kissed Peter, enjoying the masculine taste of his mouth with her tongue. Peter held Maria close as he kissed her back. Neither of them realized someone else other than Wanda was in the room, watching their display of affection with interest.

"Sharon?" Hill pulled back and noticed her standing behind Peter when she opened her eyes. "How long have you been standing there?"

The CIA agent walked up to them with a mischievous smirk. "Long enough to see you two making out. I'm glad to see you're finally taking my advice about finding yourself a man."

Maria just rolled her eyes as she and the young Spider let go of each other. Wanda returned to Peter and handed back his phone.

"What did May say?"

"I told your Aunt about how Thanos might be attacking any day soon and that we would helping to fight him." The Scarlet Witch said before a grin graced her face. "May asked us to be careful and kick his ass for her. Then she invited us back to your apartment for some lemon meringue pie afterwards."

Peter just laughed...May could be such a badass when she felt like it. Sharon stepped closer to the young Spider before she eyed him from head to toe. Wanda and Maria knew what she was doing but Peter didn't. The CIA agent's intense gaze was beginning to unnerve him a little. Sharon finally moved back after a long moment and nodded in approval.

"You've found yourself a good man, Maria. Isn't he a little young though?"

Hill scoffed. "Says the lady who kissed a man seven decades older than herself."

"Fair point. So how about we go to Tønsberg and grab some dinner?" Sharon asked. "You guys must be starving."

That sounded good to everyone...especially to Spidey, whose stomach grumbled loudly at the idea of food. The others just chuckled at the young Spider. Maria noticed the IV bag on the stand was now empty and she moved to help remove the catheter from Peter's arm.

"Thank you." He rubbed his sore wrist. "I'll go find Lady Sif and Hela."

"Alright, we'll meet you outside." Sharon said before she left first with Wanda and Maria.

Peter walked the opposite way and found the two Asgardian women in one of the spare rooms. The two had decided to share a room during their stay here. Hela was resting on the bed with her eyes closed while her hand stroked the soft fur of her Asgardian wolf. Sif sat by the table, meticulously cleaning her sword with a white cloth.

The two of them had changed into the clothes that Sharon provided for them. If they walked around wearing their Asgardian armour, it would've attracted a lot of unnecessary attention.

"Hello, Peter." Hela opened her eyes and greeted him with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

Spidey smiled back as he petted the napping Fenris on the head, making her growl quietly out of content. "I'm a lot better now, thank you. We're having dinner in the nearby town. Would you two like to come with us?"

The Goddess of Death and Lady Sif looked to each other before they nodded. Hela got up from the bed, the sudden movement waking up Fenris. Sif put her sword down on the table. She would finish cleaning the rest of her blade after they had eaten. They were looking forward to dining on the food of Midgard.

"Do you mind if I speak to Peter alone for a second?" Sif asked. "We won't take long."

Hela looked at her curiously before she nodded. "Of course. I'll tell the others to wait a moment so we can go together. Come along, Fenris."

The Asgardian wolf followed her owner, leaving the young Spider and Lady Sif alone in the room.

"So what's up? Did you need something from me?"

Sif wrapped her arms around Peter for a firm hug. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life twice now. I am in your debt."

"You're my friend, Lady Sif." He said, holding her close. "There was no way I was going to let the blue meanie kill you."

The Asgardian woman warmly smiled before she looked down to the ground. "...Do you believe Thor will be alright?"

Spidey was caught off guard by the sudden question. He wanted to say yes but all there was to support that answer was his faith in the God of Thunder's toughness and prowess in battle. Lady Sif was understandably worried about Thor though and the last thing he wanted to do was bring her hopes down.

"I'm sure Thor's okay. If he could go toe to toe with the Hulk, there's no way this Thanos is going to kill him."

"I hope so. I'm sorry to bother you...it's just driving me crazy, not knowing whether or not he's alive."

Peter placed his hand on her shoulder. "No, I understand. I'm worried too. Thor's always been able to come back though...sometimes it may take a while but he still returns just fine."

"That is true. His lengthy absences tends to get a little annoying though, especially when he doesn't bother telling anyone about it."

"Maybe you can scold Thor about it once he gets back." He jokingly suggested.

A small laugh escaped her lips. "I might just do that...thank you, Peter."

"Anytime. Are you ready to go?"

Lady Sif nodded before she wrapped her arm around Peter's and they left the room together to rejoin the others for dinner.

...

 **\- Sharon Carter only had one appearance in Civil War so I thought it'd be cool to include her in the story. Before anyone asks, she won't be in a relationship with Peter.**

 **\- I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Till next time.**


	39. Chapter 39

**-** **Tønsberg is the place in Norway where New Asgard was established between the events of Infinity War and Endgame. I thought it'd be nice for the place to make an early appearance.**

 **...**

Although it was called a town on most maps, Tønsberg felt more akin to that of a small village. There were only about five hundred individuals who called this place home. It was still a very lively place though and the people were all friendly. Peter and the others went to a family owned restaurant that served a variety of traditional Norwegian food.

Thankfully, pets were allowed on the premises so Fenris was able to join them at the foot of their table.

The young Spider had some trouble pronouncing what he wanted from the menu when it came time to order, much to the amusement of the others. The waitress was patient though and kindly taught him how to say the name of the dish he wanted. Everybody else told her what they wanted to order as well. Hela didn't forget to order something for her Asgardian wolf.

Once their food arrived, they happily dug in and ate away. Some of the other men in the restaurant gave Peter looks of envy...he was the only man sitting at a table full of beautiful women. Spidey didn't notice though as he was too busy chowing down on some Kjøttkaker.

Wanting to try everything, he even ate the Smalahove...although Wanda and Sharon turned a little green when they saw him taking bites out of the unusual delicacy. Lady Sif just encouraged Peter to eat more, giving him some of the food from her own plate. All of their dishes were rich in flavour and had a distinctive homemade taste to it. At the bottom of their table, Fenris ate her food with fervor. Her hunger almost rivaled that of Spidey's.

They finished dinner with a satisfied smile on their faces. Sharon paid the bill and left a generous tip for the waitress. The young lady thanked her as she enthusiastically asked them to come again.

Peter sighed contently as he patted his stomach. "Ah, that was great."

"I still can't believe you ate the Smalahove." Wanda said, a little in awe of her boyfriend. "You must've been very hungry."

"Well, the waitress did give it to us for free. It would've been wasteful not to eat it."

Sharon shook her head out of amusement. "You're a brave man, Peter. I don't think I'd ever be able to eat such a delicacy even if I was starving to death."

Maria shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "I don't know. If I got hungry enough, I could definitely see myself eating the Smalahove."

Spider-Man glanced at Hela, who seemed more relaxed now as she walked with Fenris. The Goddess of Death noticed Peter looking at her and she gave him a warm smile. Spidey smiled back at her before he looked to the peaceful night sky. It was hard to believe an insane power hungry space tyrant and his forces would be coming down from above in a few days if not tomorrow.

No matter what happens in the next few days, Peter promised to do everything in his power to help defeat Thanos.

...

 _The next day..._

"Peter? Peter, wake up."

The young Spider felt someone shaking him by the shoulder and he was instantly awake. Maria was standing beside his bed, her face looking calm but alarmed.

"What's wrong?"

Hill grabbed Peter's hand and pulled him with her to the briefing room. Wanda and Sharon were already there, watching the TV with rapt attention. The news anchor was reporting about an attack that occurred in New York...involving Iron Man and two aliens. Peter immediately recognized one of the invaders as the dinosaur he and Volstagg fought on the _Statesman_.

"When did this happen?" He asked.

"According to one of the cameras in the area, the attack began at around noon." Sharon said, looking up the data on her computer. "Stark followed one of the aliens to space but he hasn't returned at all since then."

Peter clenched his fists...the Black Order had arrived a lot sooner than they thought. Hela and Lady Sif walked in as the news continued to play out the story. It seemed like the battle took place within a small section of New York. There were no casualties fortunately and the collateral damage done in the ensuing fight was minimal. Even so, Earth was now missing its best defender and they were likely to come back soon.

Lady Sif's eyes narrowed as she recognized the other strange alien. "I know that ugly creature...he calls himself Ebony Maw. I fought him briefly before Thor asked me to go look for you all."

"Is he strong?" Wanda asked.

"Physically, no...but he's a formidable spell caster. He may even rival Loki's skill with magic."

"We need to find Vision." Maria said, pulling up a picture of the android on one of the screens. "Keep him protected so that Thanos can't get his hands on the Mind stone."

Sharon typed away on her computer. "I'm working on finding his location right now. It might take a while though."

"We should take this time to prepare then." Hela advised.

Everybody nodded before they separated to get their things ready. Lady Sif and Hela returned to their room to gather their things. Maria stayed behind to help Sharon find the approximate location of Steve and the others. The Scarlet Witch walked back to her room with Spider-Man. Peter grabbed his web-shooters from the table before he pulled up a holographic screen that showed the schematics of his suit.

"Karen, install the codes I programmed yesterday into the neural interface." He said. After coming back from dinner last night, Peter worked to add some minor upgrades to his suit. They mainly improved the suit's response time in translating his thoughts to motion.

 _"Understood. Installing the new codes now."_ His A.I. responded.

Peter nodded as he grabbed his phone. "Thanks, Karen. Let me know when it's done."

There was someone else he needed to call before they departed...he just hoped she wasn't too pissed off at him for being away for so long. Dialing the number, Spidey took a deep breath and waited for her to pick up.

 _"Hello?"_

"Hi, Darcy."

 _"...Peter? Is it really you?"_ The pretty intern asked. She sounded on the verge of panicking. _"W-where have you been? You've been missing for months! We asked the other Avengers about where you all were but they didn't know either. I thought something had happened to y-"_

"Darcy! Darcy! It's me...I promise. We're all okay. I know you have a lot of questions so I'll explain everything." Peter said, doing his best to calm her down.

On the other end, Jane sat down next to Darcy and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. _"O-okay. Jane is here with me too."_

That made things a little easier...this way, he wouldn't have to explain it twice. Peter told them about what happened while they were in Asgard. Jane gasped out of worry when he got to the part about Asgard being destroyed. He reassured her that they were able to escape Asgard's destruction unscathed and since then, they've been traveling through the galaxy for the last seven months.

The young Spider then hesitated for a moment before he told them about the attack on their ship by Thanos two days ago. While they were happy to hear the Asgardians managed to evacuate to safety in time, it disheartened Jane to learn that Thor and his brother had stayed behind to fight Thanos.

 _"That attack in New York..."_ The astrophysicist said quietly, having taken the phone. _"Was it them?"_

"Yeah, it was." Peter said. Wanda placed a supportive hand on his shoulder from behind. "Those aliens call themselves the Black order...dumb name but they're dangerous. I fought against them back on our ship."

 _"...And there's still no word on Thor?"_

"Not yet. But Thor's one of the toughest Avenger on the team...I mean he survived being punched by the Hulk. He'll be okay."

That garnered a small laugh from the famous astrophysicist. _"I suppose you're right. Thank you, Peter. Welcome home."_

Jane handed the phone back to her intern. _"I take it you and Wanda will be helping to fight against this Thanos dude?"_

"Yeah...you don't like the idea, do you?"

Darcy shook her head. _"Nope...but I know if you don't do this, then it'll be bad news for all of us. Just be careful, okay? I didn't get you back now just so I can lose you later."_

"I promise."

Maria came back and tapped on the door to get their attention. "We've found them."

"I have to go now...sorry."

 _"It's okay. Go tear those alien bastards a new one for me."_

The young Spider chuckled. "I will. I love you, Darcy."

Darcy's face turned bright red as she happily smiled. _"I love you too, Peter."_

Putting away his phone, Peter slapped his web-shooters onto his wrists before he and Wanda followed Hill to the briefing room.

...

Sharon pulled up a detailed world map onto the large main screen from her computer. There was a blinking red light moving fast across the map. Whatever was on the move seemed to be in a hurry to reach its destination.

"What's that?" Lady Sif asked.

"That would be the Quinjet I helped Steve and his team covertly steal a few months ago." The CIA agent explained. "Something entered our atmosphere earlier before it stopped in Edinburgh. Cap's team arrived and confronted whatever it was that arrived, forcing them back out to space. Since then, they've been flying over the Atlantic ocean nonstop."

Wanda watched the blinking red light as it approached American soil. "Where are they going?"

"Based on their current flight path, it looks like they're on their way back to the Avengers Compound." Maria replied.

That caught the two youngest Avengers off guard. There was no doubt Ross's men were probably scoping the Compound out in case the rogue Avengers ever came back...so why would Cap choose to go there now? With Tony gone, the only occupant there was probably Colonel Rhodes. Hill and Sharon were just as confused as they were.

"There's no question...the Black Order are the ones they've fought." Hela said. "They must've tracked down this Vision to Edinburgh and attempted to take the stone in his possession. Fortunately, it seems like your friends were able to drive them off for now."

That was good news at least but if there was one thing Peter's learned about these bad guys, it was that they were persistent. The children of Thanos won't stop coming to Earth until they got their hands on the Mind stone.

"Should we not meet up with the other Avengers then? We'd be able to protect Vision more effectively if we were to combine our forces." Lady Sif suggested.

Sharon turned to her with a look of uncertainty on her face. "That was my first thought...the only problem is getting there before they leave. Captain America, Falcon, and the Black Widow have been declared criminals by the government. The Secretary General will definitely try to arrest them while they're at the Compound. If we arrive too late, there won't be anything except a bunch of pissed off J-SOC guys waiting for us."

"In other words, we need to find a way to meet up with them in a place that isn't the Compound." Maria summarized.

The blinking red light that represented the stolen Quinjet made it past the U.S. borders and was now flying a straight path to upstate New York. Captain America wasn't the kind of person who did things on a whim so he must have a good reason for going back despite his fugitive status.

An idea sprang to Peter's mind. As basic as it was, it was all he could think of at the moment. "If we found a way to contact them on a secure channel, maybe we could set up a rendezvous point for us to meet up in."

Hill's eyes widened before she remembered something. "That might work...Sharon, is there a way we can speak to Natasha using the old SHIELD frequencies?"

"If her old channel is still intact, we might be able to." Sharon murmured, typing away on her computer. "Give me a moment."

The CIA agent found the Black Widow's inactive SHIELD COM line. It hadn't been used at all since the organization dissolved...she just hoped Natasha would answer their call. There was no answer for a few minutes and Sharon was about to give up when the COM channel lit up green.

 _"...Who are you?"_ The Black Widow asked sternly.

"Nat, it's me."

 _"Maria? What's your old verification code?"_

"626 Delta Frost 079." Hill answered. She knew Natasha was only checking to make sure it wasn't an impostor or enemy calling her.

Silence reigned for a moment. Captain America could be heard talking to Falcon in the background, although it was hard to make out what they were saying.

 _"You've been gone a long time, Maria."_ The Black Widow finally said. _"...Is it just you there?"_

"No, Peter and Wanda are with me too. We all made it back to Earth."

Relief and joy filled Natasha's heart...it was the first piece of good news she's heard ever since they were forced to go into hiding. She hid it well from Steve and Sam but months of not knowing whether or not they were okay on Asgard had nearly driven her insane with worry.

A smirk graced her face. _"Welcome home. I take it you're not calling just to tell me that though, right?"_

"Unfortunately not. We know about Vision being attacked in Edinburgh by the Black Order."

 _"Those aliens from earlier? How do you know what they're called?"_

Maria frowned. "Because Thanos led them to destroy the ship we were flying home on two days ago."

Natasha quickly grew alarmed. _"Are you guys alright?"_

"We're fine...Peter got injured in the fight but Wanda was able to heal him." Hill reassured. "Listen, we're here to help but going to the Compound is too risky for us. Is there a place where we can rendezvous later?"

 _"Give me a minute."_ Natasha said before she went to speak with Steve and the others.

Spider-Man and the others patiently waited on the side while Maria and Natasha conversed. The young Spider had missed the Black Widow greatly during the months that they've been away. It's been too long since they last spoke but their reunion would have to wait till later. There were more pressing matters to deal with first.

"You think Vision is okay?" Wanda whispered.

Peter wrapped his arm around her. "I'm sure he's fine. He's tougher than most of us."

"That's true. I'm just glad Natasha and the others were able to help him in time."

The COM crackled to life again. _"Maria?"_

"I'm here."

 _"Okay. Steve's given me a set of coordinates for our rendezvous point. We'll meet you there after we leave the Compound."_

Natasha sent a message to Sharon's computer that contained a set of longitude and latitude points. The CIA agent quickly searched for the location that the coordinates indicated...it appears they would meet up in Africa.

"Understood. We'll see you there. Be careful."

 _"You too...may I speak to Peter?"_

"Of course." Maria passed the communicator to Spider-Man.

"Tasha?"

Hearing the young Spider's voice again after so long made Natasha smile warmly. _"Hello, Peter. I've missed you."_

"I missed you too." He said. "I'm sorry about being away for so long."

 _"It's alright. I'm guessing a situation happened in Asgard that was beyond your control. That's why you guys weren't able to come home as planned."_

"You got it in one...it's a very long story."

She laughed softly. _"You can tell me about it when we meet up later. It's kind of a good thing you didn't come back right away...after you all left, things went to hell here very quickly."_

"I know. Sharon told us the basics of what happened...I never thought the team could be split like this."

 _"Neither did I...I have to go. We're closing in on the Compound."_

"Alright. If you see Ross, could you shoot him for me?"

Natasha widened her eyes. She wasn't expecting to hear that from Peter. "Are you asking me to kill the Secretary General? I wouldn't mind but I never thought you would ask for such a thing."

"I meant just shoot his kneecaps or something." He explained with no remorse. "I don't want Ross dead but that son of a bitch needs his ass kicked for trying to arrest you guys."

The Black Widow blinked twice before she chuckled. It seems her _Мой любимый паук_ had grown to be a little sadistic...and she liked it.

 _"I'll see what I can do. I love you, Peter."_

"I love you too." Peter said before they both signed off.

Sharon shut down her computer and grabbed her jacket. She holstered her side arms, as did Maria. Lady Sif sheathed her sword while Wanda put on her scarlet long coat. Hela and Fenris didn't need to bring anything. The Goddess of Death could just summon a weapon at any time. Peter checked to make sure he was carrying enough webbing for a prolonged battle.

"We have a jet prepared for take off at a private air strip not far from here." The CIA agent said. "Everybody set?"

Spidey looked to the others, who all nodded. "We're ready."

...

Natasha set her earpiece down after Peter switched off his comms. When she turned around, Captain America and Falcon were looking at her strangely. The Quinjet was set on autopilot, flying at a steady pace to the Compound. Vision was sitting down in one of the passenger seats...doing his best to recover from the wounds he suffered at the hands of Corvus Glaive back in Edinburgh.

"Did you actually say you love Peter?" Sam asked, sounding shocked. "Or are my ears broken?"

The Black Widow folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "I did. Is that a problem?"

"No. I just never expected you two to be dating."

Steve nodded with a frown. "Neither did I. Peter's a little young for you, isn't he?"

"You kissed your first girlfriend's niece, Rogers." Natasha retorted. "I don't think you're in any position to judge me. Peter may be young but he's still an adult."

The super soldier couldn't think of a response to that...she made a good point. If Peggy were still here, she probably wouldn't approve too much of him sharing a kiss with Sharon. Sam thought it was kind of funny how the two Spiders on the team ended up falling for each other. It wasn't his business though and if they were happy together, he wished them all the best. Steve was mostly curious about how their relationship even started but there would be time to ask about it later.

Sam sat back down in the pilot's seat so he could land the Quinjet at their old home...which was no doubt being watched by an unwelcome guest.

...

 **\- Smalahove is basically a cooked sheep's head, which is a delicacy in Norway...I don't know if any of you would want to eat it.** **Kjøttkaker is minced meat with some pan-fried onions or rusk added to it. It's topped off with either gravy or creamed cabbage.**

 **\- The next chapter will take place in Wakanda. Till next time, everyone.**


	40. Chapter 40

**\- At last, the team reunites in Wakanda...or at least most of them anyways. Like most of you, I wasn't happy about Sony deciding to pull Peter Parker out of the MCU. It's still early though and I'm hoping they'll be able to renegotiate a new deal that lets our beloved web crawler stay in the MCU.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

"So you and Spider-Man are together now."

Black Widow nodded. "Yes, we are."

Banner remained silent for a moment before his lips quirked into a small smile. "Good. I'm glad you found someone better than me to be with."

"I still care about you, Bruce...just not in the same capacity as before."

"I know. Truth be told, there was a part of me that knew things would never work out for us." The gamma specialist admitted.

Natasha understood what he meant. Her attraction for Bruce back then had been a spur of the moment sort of thing. She was disappointed when he decided to go into hiding after the battle of Sokovia. As time passed though, her feelings for Bruce slowly faded away and the Black Widow realized she could still live her life without him.

But the thought of losing the young Spider scared the hell out of her. She loved Peter dearly and if he was ever taken from her...Natasha knew her heart would never recover from the tragic loss.

"We're still friends, right?" She asked.

"Of course." Bruce said, offering his hand.

Natasha shook his hand with a smirk before she sat back down in her seat. Given the small confines of the quinjet, Vision, Steve, Sam, and Rhodey overheard their conversation. They stayed quiet though and gave them as much privacy as possible.

After they landed at the Avengers Compound, Captain America had a short but intense conversation with Secretary Ross. He ordered Rhodes to arrest Steve and the other rogue Avengers but the Colonel ignored that order and welcomed them back home instead. None of them were expecting to see Bruce though, who somehow returned after being missing for two years.

Banner had explained how he managed to come back to Earth and thought of a possible way to remove the Mind stone safely from Vision. The problem was that he wasn't able to do it himself nor did the Compound have the proper equipment needed to perform the removal. Steve knew of a place that did though and they were on their way there now.

Cap stood behind the pilot's seat and noticed they were closing in. "Drop to 2600, heading 0-3-0."

"I hope you're right about this...or we're going to land a lot faster than you want to." Falcon muttered.

The quinjet dropped a few feet and flew straight into a forest full of trees...only to pass right through them. The 'forest' turned out to be nothing more than an advanced hologram that was designed to keep Wakanda hidden from the rest of the world. Below was a vast lake and they could see a technologically advanced city in the distance. A set of coordinates were quickly sent to the quinjet to inform Sam where he could land.

...

The King of Wakanda and his bodyguards, the Dora Milaje, were there to greet them as they exited the Quinjet. Bruce put on his jacket before he turned to Rhodey.

"Should we bow?" He asked.

Deciding to mess with him a little, Rhodey nodded. "Yeah, he's a King."

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something." Captain America said, extending his hand.

T'Challa grasped Steve's hand and shook it firmly with a small smile. Banner cleared his throat and bowed his head...only to get told off by Rhodey.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, we don't do that here." T'Challa told Bruce, raising his hands for him to stop. Some of the Dora Milaje smirked behind their King.

The gamma specialist threw a dirty look at Rhodey, who just chuckled and slapped him on the back out of good humour. The Black Panther began to head towards the building and the others quickly followed him. A few of the guards escorted Vision to the lab at the top floor of the building.

"So how big of an assault should we expect?"

Bruce stumbled forward. "Uh, sir? I think you should expect quite a big assault."

"How are we looking?" Natasha asked.

"You'll have my King's guard, the border tribe, the Dora Milaje." T'Challa said before he pointed to the left. "And..."

"A semi-stable hundred year old man." The former Winter Soldier finished, walking up to Cap with a friendly smile.

Steve smiled back as he gave him a firm hug. "How you been, Buck?"

"Ah, not bad...for the end of the world."

One of the Dora Milaje suddenly tapped her King on the shoulder. " _Kumkani,_ there is an unknown aircraft approaching Wakanda. They have requested permission to enter our borders."

"Let me speak with them." The Black Panther said. The woman nodded and handed over a small communicator.

"I am T'Challa, the King of Wakanda. Would you please identify yourselves?"

A woman's voice crackled over the COM. _"This is Sharon Carter of the CIA. Captain Steve Rogers asked us to rendezvous with his team in your nation. I respectfully ask for permission to enter your borders."_

Steve noticed T'Challa was looking his way. "What is it?"

"A woman called Sharon Carter claims you asked her to meet your team here. Is it true?"

"Yes. Don't worry, Sharon's an ally. She's bringing two of our fellow Avengers to come and help us."

The King of Wakanda thought for a moment before he nodded and activated his communicator again. "Permission granted, Ms. Carter. One of my people will send you the coordinates for where you can land shortly."

 _"...Got it. Thank you, your majesty. We'll be arriving soon."_

T'Challa turned off the communicator before he handed it back to his bodyguard.

"Your friends are on their way, Captain."

"Thank you."

The rogue Avengers and King waited on the tarmac for Sharon's plane to come. Bruce headed to the lab first to check on Vision. An old SHIELD transport soon flew in past the barrier from the west. As it slowed down and began to land, Natasha suddenly felt a little nervous. Almost a year has passed since Peter, Wanda, or Maria were last on Earth...and she couldn't help but wonder about how much they've changed during their time away. The plane touched down on the ground just a few feet away from the Quinjet before the launch doors fell open.

Sharon and Maria stepped out of the jet first. Upon seeing the rogue Avengers waiting for them, a smile broke out on both their faces.

"I like your new hairstyle." Hill said, walking up to Natasha.

The Black Widow chuckled as she gave Maria a friendly hug. "Thanks...but I still prefer my red hair though. It's good to have you back."

Sharon made her way towards the super soldier and offered her hand. "Nice beard, Steve."

Captain America smiled as he shook Sharon's hand...while doing his best to ignore the teasing looks Bucky and Sam were throwing his way. The CIA agent then turned to T'Challa and thanked him for letting them enter his nation. When Lady Sif, Hela, and Fenris exited the jet, everyone other than Maria and Sharon watched them approach with a bit of curiosity and apprehension.

"Relax." Hill said, noticing the guarded looks in their eyes. "These two are here to help. This is Lady Sif, one of Asgard's greatest warriors and a long time friend of Thor's."

Sif placed her fist against her breastplate and bowed her head in greeting. "It is an honor to meet you all, Avengers."

Captain America, Falcon, War Machine, and the White Wolf gave Lady Sif a polite nod while T'Challa respectfully bowed his head. The Black Widow walked up to Sif and shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Lady Sif." She said. "Thank you for coming to help."

"Of course. I'm looking forward to fighting alongside you all."

Maria then pointed her hand to the Goddess of Death. "And this is Hela...Thor's older sister. Behind her is Fenris, her pet Asgardian wolf."

That caught the rogue Avengers completely by surprise. All of them knew Thor and Loki were adoptive brothers but never did they think the God of Thunder would have an elder sibling.

Hela just smirked at the shocked looks on their faces. "Hello."

Natasha leaned into Maria's ear. "Thor has an older sister? How come he never told us about her?"

"He didn't know about Hela either...until she came back to Asgard and nearly killed him."

That just confused the Black Widow even more. "I'll explain everything later. I promise you though, she's on our side."

The Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man held each other's hands as they finally walked down the ramp. Peter felt his heart skip a beat when he saw Natasha...her appearance had changed a bit but she was still as beautiful as always. Wanda ran up to the Black Widow and embraced her warmly.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered. "When Sharon told us that bastard Ross has been hunting you guys for the past year, we got worried."

Natasha wrapped her arms around Wanda and held her close. "Don't worry, that government dog never even came close to catching us. I was more concerned about you guys...after all, there was no word from any of you for almost seven months."

"Sorry but there wasn't any way for us to contact you. We were just too far away from Earth."

"I know it's not your fault. You'll have to tell me what happened after we get through this."

"I will." Wanda said before she moved to the side so Peter could speak with her.

The other rogue Avengers asked the Scarlet Witch and Hill about where they've been for the last year. T'Challa gave the order for his forces to assemble at the grass plains just south of the city. Spider-Man's mask unfolded back into his suit as he approached the Black Widow. Natasha stepped closer and caressed the side of Peter's face.

"Welcome home." She said. "...You've grown taller."

The young Spider raised an eyebrow. "I have?"

It was true. They used to stand at roughly the same height but Peter had grown a few inches taller. Now at her full height, her forehead only reached up to his nose.

"Huh. I didn't even notice until now...I see you've changed your hairstyle."

"We had to disguise ourselves to hide from Ross's forces. Does it look weird?"

Peter brushed a stray strand of blonde hair away from her face. "No, it suits you. Then again...you always look beautiful to me."

The Black Widow smirked as her cheeks turned a little pink. "Flatterer."

Holding his chin, Natasha tilted her head up and passionately kissed Peter. Peter smiled against Natasha's lips and deepened the kiss by slipping his tongue past her teeth. The Black Widow was surprised by Spidey's bold move before she reciprocated and wrapped her tongue around his. After seven long months of being apart, being able to kiss each other again felt good for the two Spiders.

Rhodey, Sam, and Bucky's jaws almost dropped to the ground at the sight of the Black Widow locking lips with Spider-Man. Wanda and Maria just laughed at the dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Steve was barely able to hide his own bewilderment and maintain a straight face. T'Challa widened his eyes before he respectfully looked away.

Natasha pulled back after a long minute, feeling a little breathless. "Wow...I see you've gotten even better at kissing, Peter."

Spidey shrugged with a small blush on his face before he turned to face the Black Panther. T'Challa gave a friendly smile as he offered his hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, Spider-Man...though I wish it were under better circumstances. All of us in Wakanda still remember how you risked your life to save my people back in Lagos."

Peter shook his hand with a firm grip. "I only did what I could to help, Mr...uh?"

"Ah, forgive me. I am T'Challa...the King of Wakanda." He said.

The young Spider's eyes widened. He was speaking to the Monarch of the most technological nation in the world? Had he known that, he probably would've bowed or something out of respect. Wasn't that the usual manner of decorum for greeting royalty?

T'Challa seemed as though he knew what Spider-Man was thinking. "Be at ease. You are a friend to me and all of Wakanda."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"Of course." The Black Panther said before he turned to address the rest of the Avengers. "We should head to the lab and check on the progress with Vision."

...

While Shuri told her brother, Captain America, and Bruce about how she'd remove the Mind stone from Vision in her lab, Spider-Man and the others had gathered in the next room. With the help of Wanda and Maria, Peter explained to Natasha about everything that had happened to them while they were on Asgard. The Black Widow listened carefully to all the details. Sharon was also in the room as she wanted to hear the story too.

"So you three basically traveled across the galaxy for the past year?" The CIA agent asked.

Maria nodded. "Yep. It was fun, being able to see so many different planets and stars. The Asgardians were kind people to travel with."

Peter thought about Volstagg and Hilde's families for a moment, wondering if they and all of the other Asgardians were alright. He truly hoped they made it to safety in time.

Sharon jokingly pouted. "Maybe I should've kept working with Fury instead of joining the CIA...you seem to be getting all of the fun missions."

"Asgard got destroyed while I was on vacation, Carter." Hill reminded with a smirk. "We only traveled the galaxy because we were forced to flee the destruction of our vacation spot."

Lady Sif frowned, still saddened by the loss of her long time home. Hela only looked to the ground with a bit of shame...if it weren't for her greed for power, perhaps her own people wouldn't have needed to flee Asgard and her brother wouldn't have felt the need to trigger Ragnarok early.

"If Asgard was destroyed because of her...then why is she here?" Natasha asked, nodding towards the Goddess of Death.

"Hela's no longer the tyrant she used to be." The young Spider said. "Now she seeks to make amends for all the wrong she's committed."

"Just like that?"

Peter reached for both of Natasha's hands and held on gently. "I know it's hard to believe. Hell, we were skeptical about her intentions too at first...but Hela's proven herself to be a changed person for the better."

"It's true. I can personally vouch for Hela's change of heart. She is here to help us." Lady Sif added.

The Black Widow stared at the Goddess of Death for a moment before she sighed. "I'll just have to trust your instincts then. We need all the help we can get anyways."

Hela nodded her thanks to Spidey and Sif for their faith in her. The two of them just smiled before an alarm suddenly blared all over the building. Everyone looked around in confusion, wondering where the threat was coming from. Lady Sif peered out the window...and her fists tightened at what she saw.

"They're here."

The rest of them moved to look out the window too. Just outside the city, five alien transports had landed in the forest. Torrential waves of dust and dirt were kicked up from the hard impact and they splashed against the energy barrier that protected Wakanda. Captain America entered the room, his meeting in Shuri's lab having just concluded.

"So what's the plan, Steve?" Natasha asked.

"We're going to hold off the enemy so Shuri can remove the Mind stone from Vision." Cap said before he turned to the Scarlet Witch. "Wanda, you're the only one powerful enough to destroy the Mind stone. As soon as that stone is out of his head, you blow it to hell."

The young Sokovian woman nodded. "I will."

"I'll stay here with her and help guard Vision." Maria said. "I'm guessing the attack is only a diversion...the Black Order will probably try to sneak in here while you guys are busy fighting them at the front."

Sharon agreed with her. "I wouldn't put it past them to try something like that. I'll stay too and lend a hand."

"Alright. Watch yourselves...regular guns might not be enough to hurt these guys." Steve advised. "The rest of us will regroup downstairs."

Captain America nodded to them all before he left the room. Hela summoned a pair of swords into her hands and offered them to Sharon and Hill.

"Here, these swords will cut through almost anything." The Goddess of Death said. "I know you two prefer your firearms but keep these with you just in case."

Maria took the sword and swung it through the air a few times. The metal felt light but it seemed durable and strong enough. Sharon grabbed the other one...despite not really knowing how to use a sword, she figured it would be better to have the weapon and not need it instead of the alternative.

"Thank you, Hela. We'll put these to good use." Hill said with a small smile.

The Goddess of Death nodded as she prepared herself and Fenris for battle. Lady Sif tightened the straps of her shield onto her arm and made certain her blade was adequately sharpened. Natasha set the voltage of her staff to maximum charge while Peter loaded his web-shooters with fresh web cartridges.

Wanda wrapped her arms around Peter. "As soon as I destroy that stone, I'm coming to help you guys. You and Natasha stay safe out there, okay?"

"We will. You and Maria be careful too."

The Scarlet Witch quickly pressed her lips against Peter's before she hugged the Black Widow.

"Don't worry, we'll watch each other's backs." Natasha whispered.

Sharon went up and shook their hands, wishing them good luck. She and Wanda headed back to Shuri's lab first. Maria gave Peter a loving kiss before she joined the others in the lab next door.

Lady Sif turned to the door. "We should head downstairs and join the other Avengers downstairs."

The Asgardian woman led the way with the others following her to the elevator that would take them down to the first floor. They ran into Shuri on the way there, who was about to grab a tool that was important for removing the Mind stone.

"I take it you're all joining my brother in holding off the enemy. Good luck and may Bast keep you all safe."

"Thank you, Shuri." The Black Widow said.

The Princess of Wakanda nodded before she spotted the webslinger. "Spider-Man? Is that really you?"

Peter didn't expect to be noticed but he quickly stepped forward. "Uh, yes. It's nice to meet you, Shuri."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you too. You may not know this but one of the many lives you saved back in Lagos was mine."

"Really? Well, I'm glad to see you're okay. I-oof!"

The young Spider was cut off when Shuri suddenly pulled him in for a tight hug. Spidey felt lost for a second before he awkwardly hugged her back.

"Thank you for saving my life." She said with a warm smile. "I know you have to help my brother in the fight now but when the battle is over, perhaps you and I could hang out later?"

Peter smiled back behind the mask. "Yeah! That'd be cool."

"Great! I shouldn't keep you all here for too long. Go kick some alien ass out there."

Shuri gave them a wave before she left to grab the tool that was needed. Natasha just smirked as she held Peter's hand and tugged him along with her to the elevator. Her boyfriend's heroic deed in Lagos may have felt like a lifetime ago but it was good to see the people of Wakanda still appreciated what he did for them. They would do their damn best to defend the city from Thanos's forces.

...

 **\- Just a heads up, the next update might not happen until a little later. I've been feeling under the weather for the past few days and it's tough enough for me to just sit upright. I'll work on it when I can but recovery will take some time. Thanks for reading, folks.**


	41. Chapter 41

**\- Sorry for the long absence. It took a while for me to recover but I'm a lot better now. My thanks for all of the get well wishes.**

 **\- Not much I have to say. Take your time reading and please enjoy.**

 **...**

Peter felt strangely calm as the Wakandan vehicle he stood in transported them to the grasslands at the south of the city. Maybe it was because he had already fought the Black Order and the Outriders before but there wasn't a hint of fear in his heart. Up in the sky, Falcon and War Machine were flying towards the rally point. Bruce was running behind them...wearing the Hulkbuster suit of armor. The Hulk refused to come out for some reason and so the gamma specialist decided to wear something that would enable him to fight alongside the other Avengers.

Fenris was running beside Dr. Banner, now back in her giant form. Peter could still remember the surprised looks on some of the Wakandan soldiers' faces when the Asgardian wolf grew to her original size. He and Hela had to remind them that Fenris was on their side.

Their vehicle landed at the rally point and he promptly stepped out onto the grassy ground. All of the Wakandan forces were already assembled, ready to fight at their King's side. The Jabari tribe were reciting some sort of war chant. T'Challa went up to greet them while Captain America and the White Wolf began to brainstorm some possible strategies for the battle.

Natasha noticed Peter was unusually quiet and she nudged him by the shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah...I'm just getting myself ready for the fight ahead." He said.

"Heh, so am I. Just remember when the fighting starts, stay close to me."

"I will."

"Spider-Man!" T'Challa called out, waving for him to come forward. "Could you please come here?"

Wondering why the King of Wakanda would be calling for him, Peter and Natasha headed over to their position. Hela and Lady Sif followed as well...Fenris wanted to come along too but she would've accidentally stepped on the Wakandan forces in her giant form. Instead, she just sat her butt down on the soft grass and waited for the battle to start.

"What's up?" The young Spider asked.

"We'd like to know about the enemy." Cap explained. "You're the only one here who's fought these things and if you can tell us how they fight, we'll be able to come up with a good plan to take them down."

Peter did his best to recall his past experiences in fighting the outriders. "Uh, let's see...the aliens we're about to fight have six limbs and are extremely violent. They like to attack in groups and swarm their enemies so I'd say the best thing to do is never take them on alone. Always have at least two other people watching your back when you're fighting them."

"They're also reckless and have no regard for their own life." Lady Sif added. "These things will fall prey to ambushes easily."

T'Challa thought over this bit of information carefully. "I see. General, relay this intel to the other commanders. Let them know that each of our soldiers is to attack the enemy in groups of at least three."

Okoye nodded before she got some of the Dora Milaje to help spread the word to all their forces. Outside the barrier, two members of the Black Order stepped out of the forest. Lady Sif and Spidey recognized them as the children of Thanos that they fought back aboard the _Statesman_. Steve and T'Challa made their way over to meet them. Natasha followed as did Peter. Proxima Midnight tried to push her sword through the energy barrier but the barrier held strong, forcing back her blade. The daughter of Thanos stopped when a group of humans approached...one of whom she recognized.

Spidey could see Barney's evil alien cousin now had a mechanical left arm when they got closer. He wondered if Mr. Stark had cut off his real arm back when they tried to attack New York. Natasha noticed a Black Order member was missing...specifically the one that attacked the Big Apple alongside Cull Obsidian.

"Where's your other friend?"

Proxima didn't let the mocking tone in the blonde woman's voice get to her. "You will pay for his life with yours. Thanos will have that stone."

"Yeah, that's not going to happen." Spider-Man said. "What will happen though is you and the godzilla ripoff getting the worst beating of your lives if you don't leave."

"I see you're still alive, insect. This time, I'll make sure to kill you properly."

The Black Widow stood protectively in front of Peter with her fists clenched. "If you so much as try to touch him, I'll cut your heart out."

"You are in Wakanda now. Thanos will have nothing but dust and blood." T'Challa stated.

"We...have blood to spare." Proxima said before she raised her sword with a yell.

Knowing that she was signalling her troops, the Avengers quickly headed back to where their forces were gathered. Peter and Natasha rejoined Hela and Lady Sif on the right. The Black Panther and Captain America took their positions in the centre.

"They surrender?" Bucky asked.

Steve shook his head. "...Not exactly."

 _"Yibambe!"_

The Wakandan forces repeated their King's chant in unison. _"Yibambe!"_

T'Challa shouted it again. _"Yibambe!"_

 _"Yibambe!"_

The doors of the transports lifted open, releasing the outrider troops. Proxima Midnight smirked as the feral aliens rushed out of the forest in seemingly endless waves towards the barrier.

The White Wolf could scarcely believe the number of troops the Black Order brought to bear. "What the hell?"

"Looks like we pissed her off." Natasha muttered.

As Lady Sif said earlier, the outriders were borderline suicidal. Many of them tried to breach the energy barrier by slamming into it headfirst...only to get bisected for their efforts.

Okoye was taken aback by how reckless they were. "They're killing themselves."

Some of the outriders managed to get past the barrier...although parts of their limbs got sliced off. If the aliens were in pain, they were doing a very good job of hiding it. Most of them simply resumed their frontal charge at the Wakandan forces. Before T'Challa could give the order for his men to take aim at the incoming aliens, Hela walked to the front with a devious smile on her face.

"I'll handle this." The Goddess of Death said before her trademark spiked helmet adorned her head once more.

Numerous blades began to materialize all around her until the entire space in front of the Wakandan forces was filled with sharp edged projectiles. The Avengers and Black Panther looked around, amazed at the rows and rows of swords and knives Hela summoned. Peter and Sif were the only ones who wasn't surprised...they just smirked, knowing what the Goddess of Death was planning to do.

The outriders didn't seem to notice the blades at all as they just kept running forward. Once they got close enough, Hela waved her hands forward...and all the sharp projectiles behind her shot towards the hostile aliens. The barrage of blades horribly skewered and impaled many of the outriders to the ground. A few of them even severed the alien's heads clean off their bodies. The Avengers and Wakandans were dumbfounded by how easily the Goddess of Death laid waste to Thanos's troops. The few outriders that survived her attack were chewed and stepped on by Fenris, who leapt onto the battlefield. Her giant fangs bit the aliens in half effortlessly.

Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian immediately grew alarmed...they never expected the humans would have such a powerful ally on their side.

Despite witnessing most of their brethren get viciously slaughtered, the outriders continued their reckless charge through the barrier. Some of them on the outside began to circle around the barrier, attempting to get in from behind. Bruce noticed this and quickly grew worried.

"Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us, there's nothing between them and Vision."

"...Then we better keep them in front of us." Steve said.

Okoye looked to her King. "How do we do that?"

"We open the barrier." T'Challa said reluctantly before he activated his communicator. "On my signal, open north-west section seventeen."

 _"Requesting confirmation, my King. You said open the barrier?"_

"On my signal."

M'baku frowned out of worry. "This will be the end of Wakanda."

"Then it will be the noblest ending in history." Okoye adamantly stated.

Captain America readied the Vibranium shields attached to his arms. Spider-Man crouched into a battle stance while Lady Sif unsheathed her sword. The Black Panther moved to the front with a look of determination on his face. The Wakandan forces grabbed their swords and spears, ready to follow their King into battle.

"Wakanda forever!" T'Challa yelled, unleashing his claws as his mask covered his head.

He and Steve took the lead as they ran towards the enemy. The Avengers and Wakandan forces followed their respective leaders, ready to take down as many of those alien bastards as they could. Once they got close enough, the Black Panther gave the order for the barrier to open.

"Now!"

...

A small section of the energy barrier opened up, allowing the Outriders to enter en masse. Captain America and the Black Panther sprinted ahead of everyone. The super soldier punched away at every individual alien that he could see while T'Challa knocked back many of the outriders with his suit's kinetic pulse waves. Spider-Man leapt high into the air before he lobbed a couple of web grenades deep into the swarm of the six limbed aliens. The grenades detonated, trapping many of the Outriders in place with thick layers of webbing. The Wakandan soldiers ran forward and cut down many of the trapped Outriders with relative ease.

Unfortunately, some of the soldiers fell to the feral aliens. War Machine concentrated most of his fire at the outriders swarming in from the entrance, doing his best to close the bottle-neck. Falcon provided cover fire for the Wakandan troops from the air. Dr. Banner flew up to a more forward position and backhanded a group of Outriders that tried to attack him when he landed. The White Wolf shot at all the aliens that came within range of his rifle.

Neither the Avengers or the Wakandans had to worry about the right flank...Hela and Fenris were completely decimating the outrider forces there. While the Goddess of Death mercilessly tore apart all the aliens stupid enough to attack her, the Asgardian Wolf was either crushing the outriders beneath her giant paws or chewing them up into bloody scraps with her fangs before spitting out their mangled alien bodies. Apparently, Outriders didn't taste too great.

The Black Widow and Lady Sif stayed close to each other as they fought off the enemy. The Asgardian warrior bashed her shield into an outrider's monstrous face before her blade cut down another in half vertically. One feral alien tried to sneak up on her and attack with its claws but Natasha quickly ran up and whacked it in the head with her staff. The electricity from the staff paralyzed the creature before the Black Widow killed it by plunging a knife through its skull.

"Thank you." Lady Sif said, swinging her sword through the air to remove the alien blood off of the blade.

Natasha sheathed her knife. "Anytime. Have you seen Peter?"

"He's over there."

A little ways ahead, Spider-Man launched an open handed strike to an Outrider's chest. Purple blood poured out of the feral alien's mouth as its ribs caved in from the palm thrust. His Spider sense warned him of an incoming threat from the left and Peter flipped out of the way just before another Outrider could tackle him to the ground. It turned around to attack again but Spidey grabbed the feral creature by the throat with his left hand. The alien struggled to breathe as it tried to break free but the webslinger's grip held strong.

"Here, Fenris!" He called out.

Spider-Man threw the Outrider high into the air. The Asgardian Wolf leapt up and caught the flailing alien with her mouth...before she chewed it up and spat out the body. Landing in front of the young Spider, some outriders were flattened beneath her giant paws.

"Nice catch, girl." Peter said, petting her on the head. Fenris happily wagged her tail at his touch. "Now get back out there and take down as many of these things as you can."

The Asgardian Wolf barked before she turned around and lashed out with her tail, killing a few dozen outriders as they were knocked into the air. Black Widow and Lady Sif quickly regrouped with Spider-Man.

"I'm really glad she's on our side." Natasha said, watching Fenris wreak havoc on the enemy.

Peter chuckled. "Yeah, me too. You guys okay?"

"We're fine, young Parker." Sif reassured with a small smile. "Shall we return to the fight?"

"Lead the way, Lady Sif."

The Asgardian woman charged ahead with Spider-Man and the Black Widow following close behind. Holding up her double bladed sword, Sif threw her weapon like a spear. The sword launched forward and impaled a feral alien all the way through the back of its throat. The other Outriders let out an unsettling scream before a group of them charged at her. Lady Sif didn't move though and just stood her ground. The young Spider leapt ahead, firing a strand of webbing at the hilt of the sword. Yanking it loose from the alien's corpse, Peter landed in front of Sif and swung the webbing from left to right...cutting all of the incoming outriders in half with her double bladed sword.

Sif grinned at the unique way young Parker used his webs to attack. "Nicely done."

Peter handed back her weapon. "Thanks. Your sword did the most of the work though."

Natasha looked over as she broke the neck of an Outrider...she was impressed by how well Lady Sif and Spider-Man worked together in battle. It was a bit unsettling to see Peter fighting to kill but considering the violent nature of their enemies, not killing them wasn't really an option.

War Machine was still opening fire at the Outriders when a hammer suddenly struck him out of the sky. Rhodes landed hard on the ground but his armour saved him from the force of the impact. The hammer returned to the hand of Cull Obsidian, who finally strolled past the barrier with Proxima Midnight. The dinosaur rushed in and engaged the Wakanda soldiers in battle but the daughter of Thanos was surprisingly passive for some reason...only moving to kill the unfortunate Wakandan troops that tried to attack her.

Spidey's eyes narrowed at Proxima Midnight. Unfortunately, she was too far away for him to confront but it seemed odd for her to not take an active part in the fighting. It was as though she was waiting for an opportune moment...and he got the sense it had something to do with Vision.

Karen opened up a secure COM channel for him. "Maria, are you there?"

...

The Scarlet Witch, Hill, and Carter were watching the battle unfold from out of the window in the lab. Shuri was behind them, doing her best not to make a mistake while working to remove the Mind stone from Vision. There were a couple of Wakanda soldiers standing guard just outside the door while Okoye had tasked one of her trusted Dora Milaje, Ayo, to keep the Princess safe.

Hill's communicator suddenly crackled to life. _"Maria, are you there?"_

"I'm here. What's up? Are you guys okay?"

There was a pause for a moment as Peter punched away another Outrider. _"So far so good. Just letting you know that the Black Order will probably try to get to Vision soon. I'm still not sure how but don't let your guard down."_

Maria looked to Sharon, who nodded and left to go check the perimeter. "Copy that. We'll stay sharp. Be careful, Peter."

 _"You too."_

Wanda kept her eyes on the battle outside. A part of her wanted to go down and help fight off the invaders but she was needed here to both destroy the Mind stone and protect Vision. The android was still vulnerable from the injuries he suffered at the hands of Corvus Glaive.

"Sharon, have you found anything?" Hill asked.

 _"Nothing yet."_ She said. _"How's the battle going outside?"_

Maria moved back to the window and took a look outside. It was a little hard to tell from this distance but it seemed like the Avengers and Wakandan forces were managing to hold their own so far. The Wakandan troops had taken Spider-Man's advice to heart and fought off the Outriders in groups of at least three, keeping their own casualties to a minimum.

"Alright so far. If we keep this up, we might have a chance."

The Princess of Wakanda was in the midst of removing an interlocked cell alignment when her brother called in. _"How much longer, Shuri?"_

"I've barely begun, brother." Shuri retorted, trying to stay focused.

 _"You might want to pick up the pace."_ T'Challa advised before he moved to stop Cull Obsidian...who was ruthlessly cutting down his men.

Gathering all the kinetic force that his suit's gathered thus far, the Black Panther leapt up and punched the dinosaur as hard as he could in the face. Cull Obsidian was promptly knocked on his ass to the ground. As soon as T'Challa landed though, he was immediately swarmed by a huge group of outriders. He moved to stand back up but he was dragged across the floor before the feral aliens tried to maul him.

Captain America had just plunged the edge of his Vibranium shields into the throat of an Outrider when he was tackled to the side by another. Bucky saw the group of aliens overrun his best friend and he took aim at them...only for his rifle to get slapped out of his hands. An Outrider then knocked him into the ground and tried to bite down on his neck. The White Wolf managed to raise his Vibranium arm and block its fangs from digging into his flesh. Bucky struggled to grab hold of his combat knife before he proceeded to stab the alien's throat several times.

Bruce tried to fire his repulsor beams but several Outriders knocked him off balance. The gamma specialist fell to the ground and the feral aliens began to swarm all over the Hulkbuster suit, tearing away at the metal with their claws and fangs.

An outrider tore a vicious scar across Banner's faceplate. "There's too many of them! Agggh!"

A bright column of rainbow coloured lights suddenly burst down from the sky. An elegant looking axe flew out of the bright lights, striking the outriders off of Captain America, Bucky, T'Challa, and Banner as it circled around the battlefield. Lady Sif and Hela recognized the column of light as that of the power of the Bifrost being utilized...but with the bridge and Heimdall missing, who could be using it?

Both sides stopped fighting for a moment as the bright light slowly faded away. The axe flew back into someone's hand...and a smile broke out on Steve's face once he recognized just it was holding the weapon. Standing just before the river was Thor, adorning new armor and a long flowing red cape. Beside him was a strange tree like alien and a racoon wielding a large gun.

Natasha could scarcely believe what her eyes were seeing while Lady Sif almost cried out of relief. Peter just had a huge grin behind his mask...leave it to Thor to make such a cool and dramatic entrance to the battlefield. Hela would never admit it but she too was glad to see her half brother alive and well. He even managed to fix his left eye, although how he did so was a mystery to her and she would ask about it after the battle.

Bruce laughed as the faceplate receded back into his suit. "Ahaha! You guys are so screwed now."

Proxima Midnight and Cull Obsidian actually looked scared. They thought the God of Thunder had died back when their father destroyed the _Statesman_ with the Power stone.

The Avengers and Wakandan forces quickly regrouped behind Thor and his alien allies. There was a look of tranquil fury on the God of Thunder's face as he ran towards the enemy. Jumping up, he infused Stormbreaker with the power of the Odinforce before he slammed it down to the ground...unleashing a powerful shockwave that killed hundreds of Outriders in an instant.

...

Sharon was still checking the perimeter just down the hall when the floor suddenly shook a little. The walls rumbled in place as the sound of glass breaking could be heard coming from the lab. Naturally, the CIA agent wondered what was happening but she'd have to find out later...for her eyes just spotted what appeared to be a body laying near the corner.

"Oh no..." She muttered.

Pulling out her sidearm, Sharon carefully approached the corpse to take a better look. It was one of the Wakandan guards. Someone or something had impaled him in the chest with a sharp blade. There was blood everywhere on the floor and judging by how warm the body felt, this unfortunate man died not too long ago.

Sharon activated her communicator. "Hill, you read me?"

 _"Carter? You found anything?"_

"Yeah...nothing good though. I just found a dead Wakandan guard. Cause of death is a stab wound through the chest. The enemy is in the building."

Maria grabbed her gun and flipped off the safety. _"Damn it. Alright, come back here and regroup. Wanda just left to help the others bolster our defences so it's up to us to protect Vision."_

"Copy that. I'm on m-whoa!"

Sharon narrowly rolled out of the way in time just before a black spear could cut her head off. She raised her gun and fired half a dozen shots at the assailant.

Five of the shots were deflected to the side. The sixth bullet tore a hole through the alien's mouth from the left to right cheek. It didn't hurt much but the wound still stung, making the alien growl out of annoyance. Sharon kept her firearm aimed at the Black Order member's head as she slowly backed away down the hall.

Corvus Glaive glared at the human. "Where is the machine?"

"I'm not telling you shit." Carter said before she opened fire again.

Corvus Glaive deflected the bullets to the ground with a swing of his spear as he charged. He thrust his weapon at Sharon's chest, intending to stab her through the heart. The CIA agent moved to the side at the last second. The blade ended up getting stuck in the wall behind her, making the alien growl out of annoyance as he tried to pull his weapon free. Carter quickly moved up and pistol whipped Corvus Glaive across the head before she booted him down by his chest. Falling to the floor, the son of Thanos grabbed one of her legs and tripped her before she could get away.

He pulled his spear free from the wall and kneeled over Sharon...ready to plunge the blade straight into her skull. "Die!"

Maria rushed up from behind, swinging the sword Hela gave her upwards. Corvus Glaive's spear stopped just inches away from Sharon's head as he was forced to leap back. Hill wasn't able to decapitate the alien like she wanted but her sword managed to cleave off his left ear. Corvus Glaive roared in pain, placing his hand on the wound in a hasty effort to stop the bleeding.

"You okay?" Maria asked, pulling Sharon up to her feet.

Carter nodded as she aimed her gun at the alien's head. "I'm good. Glad you came here just in time."

Hill nodded back with a smirk before she turned her attention to Corvus Glaive. The son of Thanos stood up, glaring at them with intense hate.

"I'll kill you both slowly for this!" He snarled. Black blood was pouring out of his new wound and spilling onto the floor.

With a yell of frustration, Corvus Glaive charged towards the two humans. Maria and Sharon mentally prepared themselves for a tough fight against the spear wielding alien.

...

 **\- Sorry if I've spelled any of the Xhosa words wrong. Hela could easily curb stomp all of the Black Order's forces in battle but that would end the fight too soon so I just had her and Fenris cover the right flank of the Avengers and Wakandan forces. See you all next time.**


	42. Chapter 42

**-** **I know I've been gone for a long time again but work has been really hectic and busy. As much as I like to write these stories, my personal life is my first priority.**

 **\- I worked on this chapter whenever there was free time. Just a fair warning, it might not be on par with some of the previous updates though.**

 **Take your time reading and please enjoy.**

 **...**

If Valkyrie hadn't taken the time to teach her how to wield a sword back aboard the _Statesman_ , Maria was certain she would've already been killed in her fight against Corvus Glaive. The alien swung his spear across her chest but she raised her blade and blocked it just in time. Sharon rushed forward and drove a hard right into his jaw. Corvus Glaive stumbled back a few steps from the blow, nearly tripping over one of the Wakandan men he'd killed earlier. The two Wakandan guards that T'Challa asked to protect the entrance to Shuri's lab had come to help them fight off Corvus Glaive...only for them to be swiftly slain by him.

Now Ayo was the only one who remained in the lab to defend the Princess as she worked to remove the Mind Stone from Vision.

Hill and Carter were doing their best to keep Corvus Glaive from entering Shuri's lab. Maria swung her blade at his neck but the alien parried her attack to the side. With his attention primarily focused on Hill for the moment, Sharon was able to sneak up and stab her sword into the alien's lower leg.

"Grauggh!" Corvus Glaive yelled. The blade tore through his flesh, nearly severing the bone in his leg.

His left fist back-handed Sharon across the face. She was knocked back from the blow, her head colliding hard against the wall behind her. The CIA agent fought desperately to stay awake but unconsciousness soon overtook her mind.

Maria quickly kicked the alien in the face. "Sharon!"

Her friend seemed to be alright...she was just knocked out for the moment. She couldn't take a closer look though as Corvus Glaive got back up and tried to cut her head off. Hill ducked, narrowly avoiding the blade just before it could touch her neck. She jabbed the hilt of her sword into his gut. The Black Order member doubled over from the blow. Maria slashed her sword diagonally upwards, cutting Corvus Glaive across the right side of his torso.

The son of Thanos took a few steps back as he placed his hand against the cut in his chest...the injury wasn't a fatal one but her sword cut deep and it was bleeding heavily. The sharp pain coming from the wound in his leg was also getting harder to ignore. Never did Corvus Glaive think he'd be having so much trouble fighting against these humans. He had to get the Mind stone from the machine now before his father arrived on Earth.

Corvus Glaive put a bit more strength into his arms as he swung his spear at Hill. Maria was able to block it with her weapon...though the hard recoil knocked her off balance for a second. His right hand shot forward and grabbed Hill by the throat, suffocating her. Maria tried to cut the alien's arm off but Corvus Glaive knocked the weapon out of her right hand with his spear as he lifted her into the air.

"Time to die, human." He growled, poising his blade to stab her in the abdomen.

Hill punched away desperately at the alien's arm in an effort to make him let go. The spear was just mere inches away from piercing her gut when Ayo suddenly ran and tried to kill Corvus Glaive from behind.

Leaping back, he dodged the vibranium spear that was about to stab his spine. Corvus Glaive threw Hill aside before he moved to fight the new opponent. Her body violently crashed through the wall. Maria collapsed on top of a pile of debris and she could feel herself losing consciousness by the second. The last thing she saw before blacking out completely was Princess Shuri opening fire at Corvus Glaive with her Vibranium gauntlets.

...

Bruce fired a couple of repulsor beams to cut some Outriders in half before he turned to look in the direction of Shuri's lab. There was something falling out of the tower and when his HUD zoomed in for a better look...his eyes widened in horror. Vision was wrestling with one of the members of the Black Order whilst falling in midair. He immediately took off to provide the android some assistance.

"Guys! We have a Vision situation!" Falcon reported before an Outrider tackled him out of the sky.

Captain America decked away another feral alien. "Somebody get to Vision!"

Lifting a thresher into the air, Wanda tore it in half with her telekinetic abilities and threw the pieces down at a group of Outriders. It seemed a little wrong for her to be taking part in the battle. It wasn't because she didn't want to fight...but the young Sokovian woman had felt like she abandoned Vision when he needed her to keep him safe. The android knew the other Avengers were in trouble though and nodded her to go help them. Now he was the one in danger and it was only right for her to go to his aid too.

"On my w-aah!" Her words got interrupted when something suddenly clubbed her in the face.

Falling down a small trench, her sight was blurred for a second before she could get a good look at the foe who hit her. Standing above was Proxima Midnight...looking down at her with calm yet murderous eyes.

"He'll die alone." The daughter of Thanos said. "As will you."

"...She's not alone."

Proxima turned around and saw the Black Widow behind her, who nodded towards someone else. She twisted her head to the left. On the other side stood Okoye, ready to attack with her Vibranium spear. Before anybody could make a move, the Goddess of Death suddenly dropped in from out of nowhere.

A sword appeared in her right hand as she approached Proxima Midnight. "Go. I will deal with her."

Both the General of the Dora Milaje and Black Widow were about to argue at first but seeing the cold look in Hela's eyes made them hold back on the idea. The important thing right now was to get to Vision and help him. Giving Hela a quick nod, Natasha threw her arm around Wanda before the Scarlet Witch levitated them through the air towards Vision's reported position. Okoye ran in the other direction to assist her King in battle.

With the help of the Avengers and the Asgardians, the Wakandan forces were steadily pushing back the enemy. Some of the alien transports were attempting to retreat as a result but Thor destroyed them by crashing straight through their engine cores with Stormbreaker. Spider-Man and Lady Sif were watching each other's backs as they fought side by side. Peter webbed up and kicked away any Outriders that attempted to sneak up on the Asgardian warrior, allowing her to focus on cutting down the enemy in front without any distractions. Sif lost count of the number of foes she's killed...but an impressive amount of Outriders had already fallen to her sword.

Funnily enough, Spidey also inflicted a fair number of casualties on the enemy. He hadn't held back his strength at all with his punches and kicks. Most of the Outriders Peter's killed had their bones broken severely or skulls caved in. His conscience would've normally felt troubled about the idea of killing his foes but given the mindless violent nature of the Outriders, the young Spider knew there wasn't much choice in the matter.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Sif looked to Spider-Man. "How are you holding up?"

Peter kicked an Outrider in the face before he regrouped with her. "I'm good. Thank goodness Thor returned in time...the others would've been overwhelmed if he hadn't shown up."

"Indeed...although he came back rather dramatically again. I swear he does this on purpose every time."

Spidey chuckled as he looked around the battlefield. The enemy forces were dwindling by the second. Fenris was having the time of her life, killing the Outriders with both her fangs and claws. Victory was slowly coming into their grasps thanks in no small part to the Asgardian Wolf. On the other side, Proxima Midnight attacked Hela with all her might...but none of her blows were even fazing the Goddess of Death. Peter felt certain the Wakandan forces were able to handle the rest now.

"We should probably join the others." He said.

"You go on ahead." Lady Sif replied. "I'll stay here and help Thor finish off the rest of these alien bastards."

The two nodded at each other before they ran in opposite directions with Spidey heading towards the forest. Peter would've web-swinged his way there but there was nothing for him to swing from in the open Wakandan plains. Captain America and Dr. Banner were already there, though the left arm on the Hulkbuster suit had been torn off. There was no sign of the dinosaur alien anywhere but on the ground laid Corvus Glaive's corpse...impaled through the chest with his own spear. Wanda knelt down beside Vision, looking over the severity of the new injuries he suffered at the hands of the fallen alien. The Black Widow was checking the perimeter to make sure there weren't any other foes hiding and waiting to ambush them when their guard was down.

Peter frowned at the sight of the deep stab wounds in Vision's abdomen. The Scarlet Witch was doing her best to heal them. "Oh man...are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The android said weakly, leaning back against a fallen tree. "If it weren't for Captain America and Dr. Banner's timely arrival, I would've been killed."

"We're just glad you're alright. Where's Natasha?"

Wanda nodded towards the right. "She's checking the perimeter. Making sure nothing is waiting to ambush us."

The young Spider smiled at her in thanks before he left to go find the Black Widow. Having to take part in a major battle after having just returned from a seven month trek across the galaxy was hardly the way he had wanted to reunite with Natasha. All the same though, Peter was happy to be with her again. He quickly found her near the outskirts of the forest, carefully looking around for any signs of the enemy.

"Found anything?"

"No. It looks like the Wakandans are keeping the Outriders at bay. What about you? Have you spotted anything?"

"Aside from a dead alien's corpse? No...although I haven't seen any sign of Bowser's ugly cousin."

Natasha smirked at his funny nickname for the hammer wielding member of the Black Order. "You can thank Bruce for that. He managed to kill him during their fight earlier."

"Really? Damn."

"Are you hurt?"

Peter shook his head. "No, I'm fine. You?"

"I'm alright. After staying in hiding for so long, it's nice not having to look over our shoulders for a little bit."

"Being on the run from the government must've been tough for you guys."

"It wasn't that bad. The men Ross sent after us clearly didn't have brains because we always saw them coming from a mile away. The only annoying thing was when I had to change my look...I prefer my natural red hair to this."

He chuckled. "But you look great with blonde hair too."

"Maybe. Still, I think red suits me more."

"No arguments here." Peter caressed the side of her face. "Like I said before...you'll always be beautiful to me."

Natasha smiled as she leaned into his touch. "You've grown more confident during your time away. I remember when you used to be nervous about giving Wanda or I compliments. The way you blushed while getting tongue tied with your words was cute."

Before Spidey could reply to that, his Spider sense blared intensely...to the point where it made him a little dizzy. A major threat was approaching and fast.

The Black Widow noticed the small grimace on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure...but my Spider sense's warning me of a powerful threat that's coming right now."

…

As Okoye and the Black Panther regrouped with the other Avengers, an ominous wind blew through the forest. They could all feel that something was wrong too. A few of them looked around the area, trying to find where the threat was coming from. The Mind stone in Vision's head suddenly began to emit a loud ringing noise.

"Are you okay?" Wanda asked.

The android didn't answer right away as he clutched his head in pain.

"What? What is it?"

Vision took a second to catch his breath. "He's here."

"Everyone on my position." Captain America ordered. "We have incoming."

The words had barely left his mouth when a blue portal suddenly tore open in mid air just a few metres away from the Avengers. From out of the portal stepped out a tall and big bald purple skinned alien. Adorning his left hand was a golden gauntlet...and embedded on top were the other four Infinity stones. His manner of dress was rather simple but there were small burn marks and tears on the fabric, remnant signs of a battle he must've fought earlier before coming to Earth. Everyone turned to face the mad Titan...just one look at him told them all that this individual was extremely dangerous.

"Cap? That's him." Banner said.

Steve activated the Vibranium shields on his arms. "Eyes open...and stay sharp."

Thanos marched towards them with a calm yet serious expression on his face. Bruce charged ahead and tried to punch the Titan but Thanos made the gamma specialist phase through his body harmlessly before making him solid again, trapping him in the mountain wall. Captain America move to attack too but a purple energy wave knocked him back. Thanos then caught the Black Panther by his throat just as he leapt and punched him down to the ground.

"Wanda?" Vision called out, getting her attention. "...It's time."

"No."

Sam flew in close and opened fire but the bullets had barely left his guns when Thanos crushed his wings, making him fall out of the sky.

"They can't stop him...but we can. Destroy the stone now so Thanos can't get it."

The Scarlet Witch shook her head. She would not kill a fellow team member and friend with her powers. There had to be another way.

Vision grabbed her hand. "You have to. If he gets the stone, half the universe dies."

Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I can't."

"It's alright. I want this. To save the lives of trillions...it will be my greatest duty as an Avenger."

War Machine hit the galactic conqueror with everything in his suit's arsenal from armor piercing bullets to high powered missiles. Raising his left arm, Thanks formed a small barrier to protect himself from the bombardment. He then increased the gravity around Rhodey, crushing the armaments and thrusters of his suit before flinging him aside. The White Wolf didn't fare much better as Thanos blasted him away with another energy wave. Okoye aimed at Thanos's throat before she threw her Vibranium spear...but the weapon stopped just inches away from it's mark, held back by the power of the Space stone. The General of the Dora Milaje was then knocked out of the fight by another purple energy wave.

Seeing the others fall one by one, Wanda finally raised her hand with much reluctance...firing a powerful blast of telekinetic energy at the Mind stone in the centre of Vision's head.

Groot tried to halt Thanos's movements by trapping his limbs with thick layers of wood. Thanos broke free without any effort and backhanded the young Guardian away. Captain America skidded beneath Thanos's arms, hitting him in the chin with a hard left uppercut. Knowing that the Titan needed to close his fist in order to use the Infinity Gauntlet, Steve caught his hand and held it open with all of his strength. Thanos was impressed for a moment before he swung a right punch across Cap's face...knocking him out as he fell to the ground.

With his attention focused solely on the super soldier for a moment, Natasha rushed up from behind and struck Thanos in the back of the head with her taser staff. His head lurched forward a bit but he quickly recovered and faced the Black Widow...who was glaring at him in defiance.

"You think you alone can stop me from taking what's rightfully mine?"

Natasha smirked. "No...but then again, I'm not the one who'll be stopping you."

The galactic conqueror was confused for a second before webbing suddenly landed in his eyes. Spider-Man leapt down from one of the trees and fired a strand of webbing at the Infinity Gauntlet. Just as Thanos finally pulled the webs out of his eyes, Peter managed to yank the Power stone free from the gauntlet. The purple gem glowed brightly in the palm of his hand.

Thanos immediately grew enraged upon seeing the stone in the webslinger's grasp. "That stone is mine, insect!"

Even though the nanotech that made up his suit was heat resistant, his right hand still felt a little hot from holding the Power stone. Spider-Man had no idea how to wield it but he needed to figure it out quickly because Thanos was charging at him right now. The Black Widow fired her grappling hook at the back of Thanos's right foot and pulled with all her might...tripping the galactic conqueror.

Peter sprang forward on his left foot and put his entire weight behind his next strike. He punched Thanos square in the middle of his face just as he fell forward. With the Power stone augmenting the young Spider's strength, his punch was strong enough to not only break Thanos's nose but also send him crashing back into the mountain wall he had trapped Dr. Banner in earlier.

"Whoa..." Peter stared at his glowing fist in awe. He didn't think the Power stone would increase his superhuman strength this much.

Natasha was impressed by all the damage her boyfriend did to Thanos in one punch...the galactic conqueror had slammed through many trees and rocks before he landed against the mountain. Whether that would be enough to put him down though was hard to say. She quickly ran back to check on Wanda, who was still in the midst of destroying the Mind stone. Tears ran down the Scarlet Witch's eyes as she increased the power of the telekinetic blast by raising both hands. Natasha's heart nearly broke when she saw the look of grief on Wanda's face...she wished there was another way.

Vision knew trillions of lives would be killed if Thanos got his hands on the last Infinity stone. It was better to deny him the chance of getting the Mind stone now by reducing it to ashes.

As the Black Widow stood guard in front of the Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man carefully walked closer to the hole in the mountain wall. Thanos finally got up from the pile of debris and rubble he'd been stuck in. Purple blood was flowing out of his broken nose. A small cut had also been inflicted on the side of his bald head. The nerves in the middle of Thanos's face were being assaulted by stinging feelings of pain but he ignored it in favour of glaring at Spider-Man with anger and hate.

As Thanos began to march forward, Peter readied himself for a tough fight. Even with the Power stone in his grasp...he knew it would take all of his strength and skill just to hold off the mad Titan.

...

 **\- It was tough deciding which Infinity stone Peter would take but I eventually decided on the Power stone, given the basic ways one can attack with it.**

 **\- Now I can't promise updates being given regularly like before. Things are really busy for me right now but there will still be updates...just not as often as some of you may prefer. I appreciate your patience. Till next time, folks.**


	43. Chapter 43

**\- Hard to believe it's already November. Either time is moving a lot faster than before or I've just been working too much lately to notice. Either way, getting this chapter written wasn't easy. The quality of the writing might not be on par with the previous updates...given what little time I had to work on it.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **…**

Peter knew he needed to make his next attack count...the Power stone was at best just a few minutes away from burning a hole in his hand. He'd have to get rid of the gem before it began to cause him harm.

Thanos didn't let it show but his face was hurting a lot from Spider-Man's last attack. Tiny fractures had been inflicted on the facial bones of his skull and while it wasn't proving to be lethal, purple blood kept pouring out of his broken nose. He commended the webslinger's quick thinking though...he was smart enough to understand using one of the Infinity stones was the most effective way to fight against him.

All that aside though, he needed to reclaim the Power stone now.

Thanos utilized the power of the Space stone to magnetically pull Spider-Man forward. Peter floated helplessly at first as he propelled towards the galactic conqueror. The purple alien reached out with his left hand to grab him by the throat but Spidey flipped sideways and lashed out a kick against the right cheek of his face.

Thanos stumbled backwards a little...almost blacking out from the young Spider's unexpected strike. Peter drove his right fist into the mad titan's gut with all the strength he could muster. Blood poured out of Thanos's mouth as he doubled over in pain. It felt like a hole had just been torn through his stomach. Most of his ribs were broken and some of his internal organs had been severely traumatized by the blow.

For the first time in many years...Thanos not only bled twice in one day but was also forced to kneel.

Peter could feel the Power stone about to burn his hand and he quickly threw it away. The purple gem sizzled as it hit the ground, scorching the dirt beneath. The young Spider knew his punches and kicks wouldn't be as effective without the Infinity stone enhancing his strength. He desperately hoped his earlier attacks were hurting Thanos badly.

Thanos finally stood up with a grudging smile on his face. "Stark was the first person in decades to spill my blood...but I haven't been hurt this much in all my years of conquest. Your skills and thinking in battle is admirable."

"Getting complimented by a purple alien cue ball." Spidey muttered. "Cross that off my bucket list."

"I won't even pretend to understand your prattle, insect. It's time to end this."

Spider-Man didn't wait for him to make the first move. He leapt forward and fired a barrage of web balls at Thanos. Thanos smirked as he calmly walked towards him. Using the Reality stone, the galactic conqueror turned the incoming web balls into harmless clouds of ash. Peter tried to throw a left hook at his face but Thanos halted his movements by suspending him in midair with the Space stone.

"Damn it!" The young Spider cursed, struggling to break free.

Thanos gripped his left hand around the webslinger's throat. "I'm going to enjoy ending your life."

Natasha grabbed one of the widow's bites off her belt and set the the voltage to maximum before she threw it at Thanos. The widow's bite stuck onto Thanos's upper arm and unleashed a powerful electric shock. It wasn't enough to harm Thanos but the shock did force him to let go of Spidey's throat. Peter planted both of his feet into Thanos's face...further aggravating his broken nose. The new rush of pain forced Thanos to grab at his face. Spider-Man quickly retreated to a safe distance, doing his best to catch his breath after his throat nearly got crushed just now.

The Black Widow rushed forward to help Peter but Thanos raised the Infinity Gauntlet, trapping her beneath a pile of stone pillars. Blood suddenly poured out of Thanos's mouth...making him clutch his abdomen as he tried to withstand the paralyzing pain shooting up through his body. The injuries he suffered at the hands of Spider-Man were much worse than he initially thought. A spark of light caught his eye and he looked over to the left...before a small smile graced his purple face.

The Power stone was laying right beside him on the ground. He immediately reached over to grab the gem, placing it back into one of the two empty sockets on the Infinity Gauntlet.

Spider-Man took this time to move to the Black Widow's position, tearing apart the stone pillars trapping her one by one. She tried to help but there wasn't any room for her to move her arms up.

Her eyes darted towards the mad Titan...who was aiming the gauntlet at Spidey's back. "Peter, look out!"

Her warning came too late. The Power stone glowed as Thanos fired off an energy blast. Spidey turned around just in time to be struck in the chest by the purple bolt of energy. The blast launched him through the air before he crashed hard against a large boulder. Though his suit took most of the impact, it was still enough to knock the breath out of him.

"Ow...my back." Peter groaned, rubbing his likely bruised spinal muscles.

Thanos picked up the hurting Spider by the neck again. "Any last words?"

Despite his present circumstances, Peter just tauntingly smirked behind his mask. "Y-yeah...you just ran out of time, asshole."

...

The split-second look of confusion on Thanos's face was almost comical as he tried to figure out what Spider-Man meant. The answer came when an explosion suddenly went off behind him. Clouds of dust blew past them both and there were golden waves of energy pulsing across the ground. When Thanos turned around, his jaw dropped a little at what he found.

There was no longer any trace of Vision or the Mind stone at all...both having been destroyed by the Scarlet Witch's telekinetic blast. When the Mind stone exploded, the Android's body collapsed into nothingness. Tears were running down the young Sokovian woman's eyes as she mourned the loss of a good friend. Even though Vision willingly sacrificed himself, Wanda still felt terrible about having just ended his life. The Black Widow was also saddened by what had to be done. Natasha wanted to help the Scarlet Witch but she first needed to free herself from the stone prison Thanos trapped her in. Thankfully, Spider-Man managed to dismantle most of the rock pillars before he was struck by the energy bolt.

Thanos didn't move for a moment, angered at what just transpired. The Mind stone was all he needed to achieve his goal and now it was gone. Spider-Man hadn't been attempting to defeat him...he'd been buying the Scarlet Witch time. His frustration quickly disappeared though when he came up with a very ambitious idea.

An evil smile formed on his face. "On the contrary, insect...I have all the time in the world now."

Thanos threw a hard right punch into Peter's abdomen. The young Spider hurtled across the forest before his back finally hit a tree and stopped him from flying any further. With his body hurting so badly at the moment, Peter was unable to get back up right away.

"K-Karen...status?"

His partner's voice sounded worried. _"The suit's integrity is at eighty seven percent. Your torso has suffered second degree burns and your blood pressure is dangerously low due to moderate bleeding in your liver. Try not to move too much."_

Despite her advice, Peter was able to get up on one knee but the rest of his body still felt too heavy. Thanos muttered something while the Scarlet Witch wept for the loss of Vision. The purple alien held out the Infinity Gauntlet towards where Vision once stood. A bright green light was being emitted by the Time stone as Thanos reverted time to the moment just before Vision was destroyed.

Seeing the Android being restored to life somehow, Wanda charged forward to try and stop the mad Titan. "No!"

Without even looking, Thanos slapped the Scarlet Witch away. He grabbed Vision by the neck and violently plucked the Mind stone out of his forehead. The vibrant green, yellow, and red colours that once adorned Vision faded into a lifeless gray as his body was tossed aside. The purple alien inserted the yellow gem into the last empty socket on the Infinity Gauntlet. With all of the Infinity stones now in his hands, Thanos gritted his teeth as high levels of cosmic energy flowed through his body.

Spider-Man snagged a nearby boulder with his webs and swung it at Thanos while his back was turned. The purple alien turned around just in time to get hit in the face by the big rock, dazing him a little. Peter swiftly fired a strand of webbing at the Infinity gauntlet and tried to yank it off his left hand. Thanos recovered though and pulled on the webbing, yanking Spider-Man forward before his right arm clotheslined him across the neck. Peter nearly blacked out as his head smacked into the ground.

"Ugh..." He groaned, trying his best to stay awake.

"You are a tenacious one...but your pointless struggle ends here."

The Infinity stones lighted up in unison as the mad Titan pointed the gauntlet at the webslinger. Before he could fire, lightning suddenly rained down from above and struck the purple alien in the chest. Peter looked up to see Thor flying towards their position. Thanos tried to blast at the God of Thunder but Lady Sif charged out of the forest and leapt up...stabbing her sword through his left eye.

"Aaarggh!" Thanos screamed. Sif swiftly pulled her blade free and retreated to the young Spider's side.

As he clutched at his broken left eye, a body suddenly dropped in front of him. Thanos froze in mild horror upon recognizing who it was. It was Proxima Midnight...barely alive and beaten to the point of near death. Her left arm and right leg were missing but instead of being sliced off, her missing limbs looked like they had been viciously torn apart.

She looked up at Thanos and weakly reached out to him with her right hand. "F-father..."

The Goddess of Death then landed in front of her. "Huh...still alive. I was certain she perished after I tore off her right leg."

Thanos looked at the one who defeated his 'daughter'. Even with only one good eye left, he could tell this woman was very powerful. It was little wonder why Proxima lost...her death was coming soon and he prayed it would be relatively painless.

"So this is the lowly creature who led the attack on my people." Hela said, looking at Thanos with disdain.

With a wave of her left hand, two sharp pillars sprang up from the ground...impaling the galactic conqueror through both of his legs.

"I couldn't have cared less about your pathetic crusade but you made two grave mistakes. Your first mistake was ending my brother's life. Your second? Attempting to kill the man whom I consider to be a dear friend."

Thor landed behind her and immediately marched over. Without hesitation, he swung Stormbreaker into Thanos's torso. The axe very nearly pierced his heart and when the God of Thunder pushed down on the blade...Thanos yelled. The pain from all of the injuries he suffered earlier was finally getting to him in full.

"This is for Heimdall and Loki." Thor snarled. "I told you...you'd die for their deaths."

Despite the overwhelming amount of pain he was feeling at the moment, Thanos managed to grin as he looked at Thor dead in his eyes.

"You...you..." He muttered, so quietly that Thor had to lean in closer to hear him speak. "You should've gone for the head."

The Infinity stones began to light up...prompting Thor to immediately try and pull the gauntlet off. He was just a second too late as Thanos raised his left hand and snapped his fingers.

...

Lady Sif was holding Peter in her arms, keeping him protected while Thor and Hela killed Thanos. The young Spider was recovering at a steady pace thanks to his enhanced healing factor but Karen reported the bleeding in his liver was only partially fixed. It would still require a bit of surgery to ensure the injury healed properly.

"I've never seen Thor so angry before." He muttered, lifting his head up. "Are Loki and Heimdall really gone?"

Lady Sif's eyes turned sad. "I hope not...but I've never known Thor to lie."

Peter's Spider sense buzzed again all of sudden. The danger was coming from where Thanos was and he quickly looked over in that direction. Thor bellowed a loud "no!" as the purple alien snapped his fingers on his left hand. The stones emitted a bright light, forcing everyone in the vicinity to close their eyes. It did more than blind Thanos temporarily though...using all of the Infinity stones at once proved to be too much even with the gauntlet. When the light subsided, the Infinity gauntlet was smoldering and parts of Thanos's left arm were severely burnt.

"What'd you do? What did you do?!" Thor demanded. Beside him, Hela was rubbing her eyes to clear her vision.

Thanos didn't answer and quickly retreated into a portal created by the Space stone. All the while, Spider-Man's Spider sense never stopped blaring in his head. Whatever it was warning him about...it was a danger that would affect everybody. Captain America regained consciousness and stood up to look around for Thanos.

"Where did he go?" He asked. "Thor?"

The God of Thunder turned to him with a slightly bewildered face. He didn't know where the mad Titan had gone either. Stormbreaker laid where Thanos had once been, covered with his blood. Hela went to Natasha and tore away the rest of the stone pillars that trapped her to the ground. No one said a word for a moment until Lady Sif finally broke the silence.

"T-Thor?" She called out.

Thor looked over and was confused when he saw his love disintegrating from her left arm. Peter tried to grab her hand but the last of Lady Sif faded into ashes just as she reached out for him. King T'Challa was the next to go...dissipating away just as he helped Okoye up from the ground. The General of the Dora Milaje desperately cried out for her King. Falcon was about to stand when he too disappeared into dust.

"Sam?" War Machine yelled, arriving to his friend's position just a second too late. "Where you at?"

Rocket helplessly watched as the young Groot turned into dust. The tree said something in his language before he finally disappeared.

Wanda was kneeling by Vision's body when she saw her left hand begin to disappear. Realizing she was fading away too, the Scarlet Witch quickly turned to Spider-Man.

A sense of fear crept into Peter's heart as he raced over to Wanda and held onto her right hand. "No, no. Please...not you too."

"I'm sorry." There were a few tears running down the young Sokovian woman's eyes as she smiled sadly. "I love you, Peter."

The last of her beautiful face disappeared into the wind. The young Spider stared at the space where Wanda once stood...unable to believe that she was gone. Natasha rushed back to Peter's side after Hela freed her from the stone prison. When she saw the lifeless body of Vision, the feeling of grief almost overwhelmed her. What made her actually shed a tear though was the sorrowful look on Peter's face.

"Where's Wanda?" The Black Widow asked. Deep down, she dreaded to hear the answer.

The young Spider clenched his fists. "I-I don't know. She just disappeared into ashes."

Colonel Rhodes was just as confused as Peter was. "What the hell is this? What's happening?"

Natasha held back her own tears as best as she could while she and Peter embraced each other. Hela just placed her hand on her younger brother's shoulder. It was a bit awkward for her since she never really comforted anyone before but Thor appreciated her efforts nonetheless. Steve knelt down next to Vision's corpse and rolled him over face up. The other surviving Avengers regrouped close by. Some of them were looking to him for answers...but the super soldier felt utterly defeated. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do.

"Oh god..." He muttered, looking down to the ground.

...

 _On Xandar..._

Captain Marvel could scarcely believe what she was seeing. Only a few months ago, this city was bustling and the people here were content with their everyday lives. Now the once pristine and technologically advanced buildings were in complete ruins. Some of them were still smoldering with smoke and fire. Xandarian bodies littered the ground everywhere. The cause of their deaths were all varied in some ways but one thing was common amongst them...the disturbing expressions of horror on their faces.

It wasn't Carol's first experience with witnessing destruction like this. In fact, she had seen her fair share of war torn planets during her many years of traveling through the stars but that didn't make it any easier for her to stomach. Why anyone would end these people's lives so casually was beyond her comprehension but she vowed to find the one responsible and take him/her down.

Her communicator suddenly notified her of an incoming distress beacon. Carol checked to see where it was coming from...and seeing the identity of the person calling caught her off guard. It was none other than her old friend, Fury, who activated the modified pager she had given him two decades ago. This was the first time he actually used the pager to hail her so she understood right away that something terrible just happened on Earth.

Carol wasn't certain but she had a feeling what happened here on Xandar was somehow connected to whatever emergency her home planet was dealing with right now. She launched herself off the ground and flew out of the planet's orbit. Once she verified the right direction of Earth, the cosmic powered heroine immediately began to fly at top speeds towards her home planet.

...

 **\- Some have mentioned that Peter could've called Carol in to help out in the battle of Wakanda. With Hela, Sif, Wanda, Thor, and Fenris already reinforcing the Avengers though...adding Captain Marvel would've been a little overkill.**

 **\- This story will go into Avengers Endgame or an AU version of it. Whether it'll go beyond is that is still undecided but I am considering the idea. Thanks for reading.**


	44. Chapter 44

**\- Not a lot of big release in terms of games this year. I know Jedi: The Fallen Order just came out but I'm waiting for the game to build some reputation before I get it for myself. Death Stranding looks interesting but I don't own a PS4. Playing that won't be happening any time soon.**

 **\- I have some time off before work gets hectic again. I'll be writing as best as I can.**

 **...**

 _A week_ _after the Infinity War..._

The casualty reports coming from around the world were seemingly endless. It wasn't just Wakanda's people and their team members that got erased. The entire human population of the globe was now reduced to half its number. Natasha didn't doubt that the rest of the universe was probably in a similar if not the same situation. The thought of so many lives snuffed out in an instant because of a mad man's crazy beliefs...it was still a bit difficult for her to accept that it actually happened.

Thor and Captain America blamed themselves for not being able to stop Thanos. The God of Thunder believed he should've killed the mad Titan sooner. Steve regretted his decision to not destroy the Mind stone earlier like Vision had suggested. Natasha wasn't sure if doing so would've made much of a difference...at best, it might've only bought them a little more time to delay the inevitable.

None of the other surviving Avengers believed it was their fault but most of them weren't in a position to convince the two of the fact. Many were still trying to accept the fact that they lost. After saying their goodbyes to General Okoye, the surviving Avengers flew back to the Avengers Compound five days ago. The place was no longer being watched by the Secretary of State or any of his men, due to him being one of the many victims of Thanos's snap.

Ross no longer being around was a small victory in her opinion...she just wished it didn't come at the cost of so many other innocent lives.

A gentle hand grasped the Black Widow's right shoulder, waking her up from the sluggish stupour that was just about to come over her.

"Stare at the screen any longer and you're going to go blind, Natasha."

"Welcome back." She said, giving the young Spider a small smile before her expression turned anxious. "Did you find her?"

Peter's hazel eyes turned sad and tired as he shook his head. "No...May's gone."

Natasha stood up from her chair before she wrapped her arms around Peter for a firm embrace. He had left early in the morning with the hope of finding his last living relative at home...only for that hope to be crushed.

"I'm so sorry." Black Widow whispered, shedding a few tears for her boyfriend's kind aunt.

Peter didn't say anything and simply held her close. He and Natasha spent the last few days mourning for Wanda, Maria, and all the others who died. Having lost them and now May too, the fact that the young Spider hadn't given in to despair yet was a miracle.

"How are things here?"

"Not good. What happened in Wakanda affected the rest of the planet too. The world governments are struggling to keep things in order."

Spidey let out a sigh. "What a real mess."

"Yeah..." Black Widow muttered before she felt a yawn coming. She managed to stifle it but her face must've looked a little funny in the process because Peter was smirking at her.

"How long have you been looking at these reports?"

"Since I finished eating lunch."

He looked at the clock and saw that it was almost seven in the evening. Shaking his head out of amusement, Peter grabbed Natasha's hand and gently pulled her out of the chair she'd been glued to for the past six hours. It was subtle but he noticed her eyes were fluttering a bit. She obviously needed to take a break.

"C'mon...I think it's time you got some rest."

Black Widow didn't argue and followed Spider-Man as he led the way to the lounge area. Once they got there, she pulled Peter down with her onto the soft couch. It was nice to relax and lie down on something comfortable after sitting still for so long in a stiff chair.

"Are you hungry? I can cook up something real quick for dinner if you'd like." Peter offered.

Natasha rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you but I'm alright. I don't have much of an appetite right now."

"...Me neither." He admitted. "It's still hard to believe that Wanda and Maria are gone."

"I know but stay strong. Once we find out where Thanos is, we'll take him down and use the stones to bring everybody back." Natasha said.

Peter nodded in agreement...but he knew better than to think such a simple plan would go so smoothly. It was their only hope of restoring everyone to life though. When the time came to fight again, the young Spider would do everything he can to help defeat Thanos.

"The universe is a big place. Finding him might take some time."

He brought up a good point. "That's true but I trust Bruce will be able to locate where he's hiding."

"That reminds me...where are the others?"

"Steve and Bucky are in the city, paying their respects to the fallen Howling Commandos." Natasha explained. "Rhodey flew to Washington to check on the state of the US government. Bruce is working with Rocket in using Tony's satellites and probes to find Thanos."

"Who's Rocket?"

"He's the talking raccoon that arrived with Thor and the tree alien in Wakanda."

Peter looked at Natasha strangely, which made her smirk. "I know. I wasn't expecting the raccoon to be able to talk, much less wield a gun."

"No kidding. Then again, it's not the strangest thing I've ever seen."

Thing grew silent for a moment as they laid together on the couch. The past three days have been emotionally exhausting for not just them but the rest of the Avengers too. That slumbering feeling began to come back to Natasha and she held Peter a little tighter before she closed her eyes. There was a lot of work to do in the next few days and it would be best for them to rest while they had the chance.

The young Spider wasn't aware that she had fallen asleep until he heard her snoring away lightly. Smiling at the peaceful look on Natasha's face, Peter gently kissed the top of her head. FRIDAY did the courtesy of shutting off the lights for them before he went to bed as well.

...

 _Early the next morning..._

Though his suit's heat regulators were working just fine, Peter shivered a little from the brisk wind flowing by as he swung through the city. The Autumn season had just set in and the temperature was already dropping to the single digits. He was on his way to find some of his other vigilante colleagues...namely the Defenders. His attempts to call them didn't work as nobody picked up. There was a good chance they'd all been erased too but Peter wanted to make certain of that with his own eyes before he wrote them off. The other Avengers were busy with their own individual projects. Natasha was working with Steve and Bucky on a pager like beacon that the two soldiers found in Nick Fury's last known location. Thor and Hela were trying to locate the surviving Asgardians...who were still adrift in space somewhere.

Landing on the side of a building, Spidey quietly opened the window to Jessica's office and crawled his way in. He jumped down from the ceiling and shut the window closed...right before his Spider sense went off. Peter swiftly moved his head to the right, avoiding an incoming fist that slammed into the wall. He turned around and shoved the mystery assailant back with enough force to knock the individual on their ass.

"Wait!" He said, holding his hands up. "I'm not here to fight."

"...Peter? Is that you?"

Spidey's mask folded back into his suit. "Jessica...you're alive."

The private detective stared at Peter for a moment before she rushed forward and held onto him in a tight embrace. The young Spider wrapped his arms around Jessica, overjoyed to see that she was still amongst the living. He pulled his head back to take a better look at her...to put it bluntly, she looked terrible. Jessica's black hair was disheveled and her eyes were bloodshot. It seemed like she hadn't slept well in days and his nose picked up the faint scent of alcohol on her person.

"S-sorry about attacking you earlier. I thought you were an intruder."

Peter patted her on the back. "It's fine. I tried calling you and the others but nobody picked up. Where are they?"

Jessica frowned as she recalled what happened. "...I don't know. We all gathered at Matt's office last week for a meeting when Danny suddenly just faded away into dust. Luke and Matt were the next to disappear."

Spidey's heart sank...Matt, Danny, and Luke were dead as well thanks to Thanos's misuse of the Infinity stones. It was just another reason to find that purple bastard ASAP so they could beat his ass and reverse what he had done.

"Trish...Nelson...Elektra...they're all gone. I've been trying to find them nonstop for the past few days but there was no trace of them anywhere."

"Damn." He muttered. "I was hoping things would be different here."

Jessica was confused by what he just said. "What do you mean?"

Peter guided her to the couch and made sure they were both sitting down before he explained everything that's happened to him after the destruction of Asgard. Jessica didn't dare interrupt as she listened to all the details. After he finished telling about the battle in Wakanda, the private detective took a moment to process everything that she just learned.

"So some purple bastard came here and killed not only half of the planet but also the universe to save everyone...he's a fucking idiot."

Peter smirked at her crass but not untrue assessment of the mad Titan. "Pretty much. We're still trying to find Thanos but it might take some time."

Jessica nodded before she looked a little concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Most of my injuries have been healed up. Some of my muscles are still a little sore but nothing serious."

"Good."

"How about you? I hope you haven't been drinking too much again."

She shook her head. "No, of course not. I only drank enough to get a little tipsy but not black out drunk. I just haven't been sleeping much lately due to my searching for the others...looks like my efforts were pointless."

"It wasn't pointless. You only did what anyone else would've done." Peter said, grasping her shoulder. "...Would you like to stay with us at the Compound?"

Jessica wasn't expecting to hear that. "Me? Stay with the Avengers? I'm a street vigilante. I don't think they would approve of someone like me."

"So am I and none of them have a problem with me...or at least now anyways. This place feels a little depressing without Trish around though."

She didn't argue with that. Her best friend always managed to find a way to liven up her office even if it was only just a bit. Now that she was gone, her office felt dark and lonely.

"I just think it'd be better for us to stick together for now. If we ever need help, we'll be able to find each other right away." The young Spider said with an encouraging smile.

Try as she did, Jessica couldn't find a good reason to say no. Staying with Peter and the people she respected would be better than living in a lonely dark office by herself. She had long given up her childhood dream of being a superheroine but the idea of working with the Avengers did excite her a little.

"Alright, I'll come with you...just tell me one thing."

"What's up?"

"Is there any booze at the Compound?" She asked jokingly.

Even though Mr. Stark didn't drink much anymore, the young Spider was certain there was a stash of alcoholic beverages in the Avengers Compound somewhere. He wasn't going to deny Jessica her drinks...just as long as she didn't relapse into her old destructive habits.

"Yeah, just don't be drinking too much."

Jessica smirked. "Don't worry, I won't get black out drunk...dad."

Peter rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "You want to pack a few things before we head out?"

"Sure. Give me a few minutes."

The private detective got up to pack some of her personal items and clothes. Spidey was waiting patiently by the window when Karen notified him of an incoming call from the Black Widow.

The young Spider's mask materialized around his head as he answered the call. "Hi, Nat."

 _"Hey, Peter. Are you heading back right now?"_ She asked.

"Not yet. We're just getting some things ready before we come back. Is something wrong?"

 _"Everything's fine._ _Remember the pager that Steve and Bucky brought back from lower Manhattan? Well, the person that Fury was contacting answered the call and she's here now."_

"Really?"

 _"Yeah...and she seems to know who you are. Not just you either...she also knows Maria and Wanda."_

"Did this person say who she was?"

 _"I believe her name is Carol Danvers?"_

Peter's eyes widened behind the mask...Carol was here on Earth? With everything having been so hectic since his return from space, he completely forgot about the cosmic powered heroine.

"It's true. Don't worry, she's a good friend of ours. I met her while we were still out in space with the Asgardians."

 _"Alright, we'll meet you back here then. Be careful."_ Natasha said before she hung up.

Jessica came back with a blue duffel bag in her hands. "Everything okay?"

Peter nodded as he stood up from the couch. "Yeah. A friend of mine just came back from a faraway place. You ready to go?"

"All set."

Spidey knelt down to one knee. Jessica climbed onto Peter's back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her right hand was holding onto her duffel bag tightly so she wouldn't accidentally drop it while he web-swinged them to the compound.

"I swear to god you better not do any flips." She warned.

"No promises." Peter said with a grin before he leapt out the window. "Hold on tight...the Spidey express is about to take off."

...

The second he touched down on the roof, Jessica immediately let go of his neck and took deep breaths to regain her bearings. He did feel a little guilty...but the urge to do at least one flip in the air was hard to resist and he did just that in the end. Hearing the private detective's girlish scream as she held on for dear life was definitely worth it.

"You okay?"

"You can be an asshole sometimes." She grumbled, standing straight up.

Peter sheepishly chuckled. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. How about I bake some desserts later to make it up to you?"

"...Fine. I want cookies."

"Any kind in particular?"

"Nah. I'll leave that up to you. Everything you cook always tastes good."

The young Spider nodded as they walked into the elevator. "Alright then. For now, let's just get you settled in first. I'll introduce you to everyone once you're ready. FRIDAY?"

 _"Yes, Peter?"_ The A.I. answered.

"Could you help Jessica get to one of the guest rooms?"

 _"Of course."_ FRIDAY said before she stopped the elevator two floors down and opened the doors. _"If you would step off here. Ms. Jones. I will direct you to your room."_

The private detective gave the ceiling a weird look as she stepped out of the elevator. "Uh, sure. I'll meet up with you later, Peter."

Spidey nodded and waved goodbye before the doors closed again. The elevator descended down one more floor. He stepped out and headed to his quarters first. Removing the nanotech suit, the young Spider placed it into a special container. All of the recent battles he's fought in the last couple of weeks has given him a few ideas for some upgrades. He changed out of his jeans and put on a pair of comfortable sweats. As Peter threw his worn jeans into the laundry hamper, he felt something rub against his leg.

The feeling of fur made him think it was Fenris at first...but when he looked down, he was surprised to see a small orange cat staring at him with curious eyes.

Peter smiled as he knelt down and petted the feline's head. "Hello, kitty. Where'd you come from?"

The orange cat purred at his touch and closed her eyes when Peter began to scratch her behind the ears. He wondered about who the cat could belong to...as far as he knew, none of the Avengers owned a pet. Maybe Mr. Barnes or Dr Banner were the owners but somehow it was hard to picture the Winter Soldier and the Hulk raising a pet.

"Goose? Where did you go?"

Peter snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the voice coming from out in the hall. It took a second for him to remember who that familiar voice belonged to.

"Carol, is that you?"

Captain Marvel rushed down the hall and entered his room. Her eyes widened when she saw the young Spider petting her cat, Goose.

"Peter..." Carol whispered before her lips curved into a warm smile as she embraced Peter. "Thank goodness you're okay."

He held her close with a smile of his own. "It's great to see you too, Carol."

The two remained hugging each other for a moment until Goose reminded them of her presence by meowing softly. Carol pulled back and picked up the orange cat from the ground.

"I see you've met Goose." She said, scratching the feline's ears.

Peter reached over and playfully touched the cat's nose. Goose responded by placing a paw on the side of his finger. "She came into my room while I was changing."

"Sorry about that. Goose likes to wander and explore new places on her own sometimes."

"No problem. I take it you know about the terrible thing that's happened?"

Carol nodded with a sad look in her eyes. "The others filled me in after I arrived. I...also heard about Wanda and Maria. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help."

The young Spider shook his head. "You don't have to apologize for anything. You're here now. That's all that matters."

Goose meowed again before she leapt out of Carol's arms and scurried her way onto Peter's shoulders. The orange feline climbed her way up to the top of his head. Peter just stayed still, wondering what the cat was trying to do. Goose moved his brown hair around a little bit before she laid down on her stomach. Her limbs lazily dangled off the sides of Spidey's head as she closed her eyes.

"Uh...is she asleep?" He finally asked.

Carol couldn't reply at first as she was trying to hold back her laughter with great effort. Seeing her cat napping away on top of Peter's head made for a very funny and cute sight. If only she had a camera right now to take a picture of it.

"Seems like Goose likes you." Carol said after she kept her giggles under control. "She usually only naps with me."

Peter smirked and raised up his left hand to pet the cat's head. He wondered what would happen when Fenris met Goose later...hopefully the Asgardian wolf wouldn't start chasing her around like most dogs usually do.

"So have you met everyone already?"

"Most of them. The only ones I haven't met yet is Thor and Hela. The others told me they won't be back until tomorrow."

That made sense. The two Asgardian siblings were still trying to locate their people...who was still out somewhere in deep space. Odds were that the Asgardians probably also suffered from Thanos's snap but he desperately hoped the ones who survived are okay.

"Well, I brought over an old friend of mine to stay here." Peter said, sitting down on his bed. "I'll introduce you to her later."

Carol smiled as she took a seat beside him. "I'm looking forward to meeting her."

The two began to converse about what happened to them after they met back on Xandar. Every now and then, they would hear Goose purring contently as she snoozed on top of Peter's head.

...

 **\- The entire time I wrote about Goose, I kept wanting to call her Chewie...which is her comic book counterpart's name. The whole Goose snoozing away on Peter's head? That's based on a similar experience I once had. I was dozing off on the couch at my friend's house and the kitten that she owned decided to nap on top of my head.**


	45. Chapter 45

**\- Merry Christmas to you all. I hope everyone has a Happy New Year too.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **...**

"So the spoiled brat tries to swing a beer bottle into my head after I told him to fuck off. I just grabbed the bottle out of his hands and hit him in the face with it. The way that wuss screamed like a bitch when his head started bleeding...it still makes me laugh just thinking about it."

Peter watched from the kitchen as Carol chuckled at Jessica's story. After he introduced the cosmic power superheroine to the private detective, they were taking the time to get to know each other better. It seemed like they were getting along pretty well...not that it was a surprise to him. The two ladies had a lot in common. They were both fierce, strong, and intelligent independent women who knew how to handle themselves in a fight. Anyone stupid enough to actually try and mess with them were only digging their own graves.

The subtle shifting of his hair reminded Peter that Goose was still asleep on his head. The young Spider reached up to pet the Flerken for a second before he returned to Carol and Jessica with a small tray.

"Here's your Scotch." He said, handing the private detective her drink.

Jessica raised the glass and gave him a toast before she took a sip. "Thanks, Peter."

Spidey nodded as he gave Carol her beverage, which was a large cup of lemon iced tea. Unlike Jessica, she wasn't a big fan of alcohol in general. The cosmic heroine preferred soft drinks since they tasted better in her opinion. Carol put her hands around Goose and gently lifted her cat off of Peter's head.

The orange feline didn't wake up at all while her owner moved her. She just continued to snooze away on the couch.

"There you are. Now you can relax without having to worry about Goose falling over."

The private detective chuckled. "It was pretty funny. I almost lost it when you walked in with a napping cat on your head."

"So did Carol." Peter said, drinking some of his lemonade. "Still not sure why Goose wanted to nap up there though."

"Those cookies almost done?"

"I put them into the oven fifteen minutes ago. They'll be ready to eat in a little while."

He had kept his word and baked some sugar cookies for Jessica. They were quick and simple to make. All that was left was to wait until they were ready. The private detective nodded as she licked her lips in anticipation.

"God, I haven't tasted a good cookie for twenty years now." Carol muttered...before she noticed the looks of mild shock Peter and Jessica were giving her. "What?"

Spidey was the first to snap out of it. "Nothing. I just can't imagine going for that long without eating a single dessert."

"It's one of the many things I missed about home while I was traveling through the galaxy. There's nothing wrong with some of the alien stuff I've eaten over the years but nothing out there beats the food of Earth."

Carol still remembered the last time she had dinner with her best friend, Maria Rambeau and her daughter. Her cooking was superb and having been able to dine with them again after being absent from their lives for so long felt wonderful. Unfortunately, they were one of the many victims that died after Thanos's misuse of the Infinity Stones. Carol was saddened when she found out about their untimely passing. It only strengthened her resolve to kill Thanos once they found him.

Jessica gently nudged her on the shoulder. "Well, you're in for a treat then. Peter's the best chef I know. Almost everything he cooks tastes amazing."

The cosmic powered heroine looked at the young Spider, who blushed a little with a sheepish grin on his face. Seeing his awkward reaction at Jessica's praise made her chuckle. "They smell pretty great. I can't wait to try some."

There was now a sweet smell coming from the oven as the cookies were almost done. The Black Widow entered the room and smiled warmly when she saw the private detective.

"Hello, Ms. Jones. It's a relief to see you alive and well." She greeted, sitting down beside the young Spider. The delicious scent of the cookies wafted beneath her nose. "What's cooking? It smells great."

Peter gave Natasha a quick kiss. "Just some sugar cookies I've made. Would you like some?"

Never one to say no to his cooking, she eagerly nodded. Spidey got up and headed back to the kitchen. Putting on a pair of oven mitts, he pulled the hot tray from out of the oven and set it down on the counter so the cookies could cool off. The others joined him in the kitchen and waited patiently. Jessica just stared at the cookies with a childlike look of hunger on her face. Peter, Natasha, and Carol couldn't help but laugh when a bit of drool actually slipped out of the private detective's mouth.

...

Of course dessert wasn't eaten until after dinner and so Jessica had to wait a little longer before she could dig into the cookies. Dr. Banner and Rocket were the only ones who joined them for supper. Colonel Rhodes was still in Washington while Bucky and Cap went out again. Peter made some macaroni and cheese for everyone. Rocket was the only one who didn't have any...instead he was eating away at something that looked an awful lot like garbage.

"So who's the dark haired chick?" Rocket asked, taking a bite of an old banana peel and apple core.

"Jessica Jones. She's a friend of mine." Peter said before he nodded towards the raccoon. "This is Rocket."

"How's it going?"

Jessica didn't respond at first. Her mind was still trying to make sense of the fact that a raccoon just greeted her.

"...The trash panda can talk?" The private detective finally asked.

Peter and the others were barely able to hold back their laughter from her words while Rocket just rolled his eyes out of exasperation.

"Why is that the first thing humans say whenever they see me?"

"None of the wild raccoons on Earth are capable of human speech." Natasha said. "We don't think it's that weird but most people will be surprised to hear you talk. "

Carol on the other hand was still laughing at the way Jessica referred to Rocket earlier. "Trash panda...that's a good one. I'm definitely calling you that from now on, fur face."

Rocket grumbled something along the lines of 'no respect' before he went back to eating his dinner. Captain Marvel was enjoying the macaroni with cheese Peter cooked...after being away for two decades, it felt nice to be dining on some good old fashioned human food again. Spidey got up to serve himself another plateful. Fortunately, there was enough left over in the pot for anyone else to have seconds if they wished. He grabbed a bottle of ketchup and squirted some into his food before mixing it up.

A little bit of ketchup always made macaroni and cheese taste better...at least to him.

"Whoa, that's your third helping. You must be really hungry." Bruce said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Peter shrugged as he sat back down. "I've always been a big eater. Any luck locating Thanos yet?"

"We've programmed all of Tony's satellites to scan for possible clues in deep space but there's nothing so far."

"I rigged up some of the probes to see if they can find anything beyond the Sol system." Rocket added. "It might be a while before we hear from them though."

"Is there any sign of Stark?" Natasha asked.

Bruce shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We'll keep looking...but it's possible he perished like some of the others."

Spider-Man and Black Widow shared a frown. They were all worried about Tony, who was last seen taking off into space in pursuit of Corvus Glaive. Their concerns paled in comparison to Pepper's though...who was almost being driven mad from the overwhelming worry she felt for her missing husband. She'd been asking Peter or Natasha everyday for any news about Tony and it pained them to tell her that there was still nothing yet.

To her credit, Pepper was still able to put on a brave face when she dealt with the business of running Stark Industries. Peter got the sense that it was taking everything she had to keep herself from breaking down though.

Captain Marvel came up with an idea. "I could go look for Stark. I can fly faster than most ships anyways...it wouldn't take me long to find out if he's okay."

"Are you sure?" Peter asked. He didn't doubt Carol's abilities but the vacuum of outer space was a very cold and hostile environment for humans.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just tell me which way Stark was seen heading last and I should be able to pick up the rest of his trail."

"I have to check and see if any of the satellites picked up the way he left." Bruce said. "I'll let you know once I find out."

Carol nodded before she ate the last of her mac and cheese. Everyone else was almost done eating...including Rocket, whose plateful of trash was thankfully empty. He had moved him to the other side of the room so the smell wouldn't ruin their appetites. That didn't get rid of the bad scent completely though as the others were still able to smell a tiny bit of his dinner.

Jessica chowed down the rest of her dinner in a hurry. Peter's mac and cheese tasted delicious but what she really wanted were the sugar cookies that he baked for her earlier. The young Spider finally got up and pulled the tray of cookies out of the oven.

"Good. They're still warm." Peter muttered before he set the tray down on the table. "The cookies are done. Feel free to dig in, everyone."

The private detective wasted no time and took a whole handful. Carol and Natasha just grabbed a couple while Dr. Banner and Rocket politely declined. The two of them excused themselves before they left the room to check on the satellites and probes. Captain Marvel nibbled on her first sugar cookie...and the rich and sweet flavour that hit her taste buds caught her off guard.

"Whoa..you weren't kidding." She said, taking another bite. "This is really good."

Jessica nodded as she scarfed down her third cookie. "I told ya. Spidey's cooking is the best."

"Who taught you how to cook, Peter?"

"My Aunt. She taught me a lot of the recipes that I know now." He answered. "Of course I wasn't exactly great from the start...it took a lot of practice before my food actually became edible."

Natasha chuckled, remembering the story of how he nearly burnt down the oven in his apartment while attempting to bake an apple pie for the first time. She imagined his aunt must've been quite furious at the time. The idea of such a sweet and happy woman like May being angry though...it was actually a little scary to think about.

Peter finished his glass of milk to wash down the crumbs in his throat. It was good to see the others enjoying his sugar cookies so much. If Wanda and Maria were still here, they probably would've devoured most of the cookies like the private detective did.

"So when are you planning to go search for Mr. Stark?" He asked.

Carol ate her last cookie before she answered. "As soon as Banner and the Trash panda give me his last known coordinates. It might take me a few days to find him though...it is a big galaxy out there."

"We understand. Just bring him home safely. Pepper's been really worried about Tony...if we don't find him, it could break her heart." The Black Widow said.

Jessica hadn't met the CEO of Stark Industries properly yet. Her knowledge of Ms. Potts mostly came from the televised interviews she's seen a couple of times. By all accounts, Pepper was a very intelligent business woman and gifted with a ton of patience...which was a good thing considering how often she had to put up with Stark's ridiculous antics. Why such a woman would choose to marry Stark was beyond her but if they made each other happy, Jessica wished them all the best.

Of course the wedding won't be happening any time soon if Tony wasn't here. She hoped he would be found soon...a kind person like Pepper deserved to be happy.

Captain Marvel nodded with a look of determination on her face. "Don't worry, I'll find Stark and bring him home."

...

After dinner was over, everyone went off to do their own thing. Carol and Jessica stayed behind in the lounge so they could talk a bit more. The young Spider decided it would be best to take a shower before he went to bed. Scrubbing both his hair and body clean, Peter stood still to rinse off all of the soap and bubbles. The hot water felt very soothing and he closed his eyes to relax for a moment.

After a minute, he had FRIDAY turn off the water. Spidey grabbed two clean towels and wrapped one around his waist before he exited the bathroom. He used the other towel to dry his hair. It was only when Peter finished drying his hair that he saw Natasha sitting on his bed...gazing at him with a lustful look in her eyes. The fact that she was only clad in her underwear did not escape his attention.

The Black Widow licked her lips as she admired Peter's physique. Having just finished showering, his body was still soaked with water and it only helped to show off his hard muscles even more.

"Uh...hi, Nat."

Natasha just smirked before she stood up from the bed. Her hips swayed seductively as she walked up to Peter and threw her arms around his neck.

"Sorry for not letting you know I was coming."

Spidey smiled. "It's fine. To what do I owe the honour of your presence here?"

"I was hoping we'd reacquaint ourselves with each other again...intimately." She whispered, running her hand down his chiseled abdomen. "I've really missed you these past seven months."

Natasha swiftly captured Peter's lips with her own for a passionate kiss. Peter kissed Natasha back as his hands gently held onto her hips. The Black Widow snaked her fingers into the towel tied around his waist and loosened the knot. The towel fell to the floor, revealing Peter in all of his naked glory. She kneeled down and stroked his dick gently with her right hand.

"I've almost forgotten how big you are." Natasha whispered before she took Peter's cock into her mouth.

Spider-Man groaned as the Black Widow began to suck him off. Natasha was bobbing her head back and forth at a quick pace, her tongue slurping around every inch of Peter's cock. He ran his hand through her dyed blonde hair with his eyes closed.

"Oh fuck, Tasha...that feels really good."

The Black Widow dragged her tongue from the base to the tip of his penis once more before she pulled back. Undoing the clasps of her red bra, the undergarment fell to the floor...freeing her large breasts. Enveloping Peter's hard cock in the middle of her chest, Natasha began to move her tits up and down.

To pleasure Peter even more, Natasha stuck her tongue out and licked the tip of his penis. The young Spider grabbed both of her firm breasts and bucked his hips forward with more fervor.

"Your big cock feels so warm. You love fucking my tits, don't you?" She asked teasingly.

Peter nodded in response and continued to slide his dick between her breasts. It took a while but eventually he could feel himself ready to blow.

Natasha knew her boyfriend was getting close and squeezed her tits more tightly around his cock. "Go ahead, Peter. Cum all over my breasts."

A grunt escaped his lips as he finally came. Multiple ropes of white hot sperm shot out from Peter's dick into her mouth. Some of his cum splashed onto Natasha's breasts. Spidey took a step back to catch his breath for a second. Black Widow swallowed all of the seed in her mouth first before she proceeded to clean the sperm off her tits.

Peter just watched as Natasha licked away at her breasts. Seeing the Black Widow lavish her tongue around her own nipples was really hot and it immediately made his dick rock hard again.

"Hmm...delicious." She purred, licking the last of Peter's sperm off her lips. "I hope that made you feel good."

Peter gathered Natasha into his arms and carried her to the bed. "It did. Now allow me to return the favour."

Setting the Black Widow down gently on the mattress, he spread her legs open and moved his face towards her sex. Spidey pushed the fabric of Natasha's panties to the side, revealing her soaking pussy that was in desperate need of his attention.

Peter pecked a kiss on her wet sex before he sank his tongue inside. Natasha writhed on the bed in ecstasy as her boyfriend ate her out, suckling and licking away at her moist labia. She had almost forgotten how good he was at this. Her legs shot up and wrapped around his head.

"Aahhh! Hhmmm! Don't stop, Peter!" Natasha moaned, feeling his tongue push deep inside her pussy.

Peter just hummed in response, tickling her vagina again in doing so. He was enjoying the tangy taste of her fluids. Natasha's mind was barely coherent at this point but she knew she would cum any second now. She moaned loudly as her pussy throbbed and squirted out her vaginal nectar all over his face. It took a minute for Natasha to regain her bearings and she pushed herself up with her elbows.

"You okay?" Spidey asked, leaning his forehead against hers.

The Black Widow nodded and pulled Peter in for a deep hungry kiss. "Y-yeah. I'm not ready to stop yet though."

"Neither am I."

"Well then..." She got down on her hands and knees, shaking her well toned rear seductively. "Let's keep going."

Spidey held onto Natasha's hips and teasingly rubbed his member between the folds of her vagina. "Here I come, Tasha."

With a powerful thrust, Peter plunged his dick deep into Natasha's pussy. The Black Widow cried out of delight as Spider-Man pounded into her womb. She had missed making love with him for the past seven months and now they were finally making up for lost time. Increasing the strength and speed of his thrusts, Peter's hands moved from her hips to her breasts and squeezed them both. Natasha could feel her second orgasm rapidly approaching and she turned her face around to kiss Peter.

The Black Widow suddenly tightened her vaginal muscles around Peter's dick as she came hard. Spider-Man held Natasha close and kept his lips locked with hers.

"F-fuck, that was amazing." She breathed out, trying to catch her breath.

Peter's lips curved into a smirk. "We're not done yet, Nat."

The young Spider flipped their positions so that she was on sitting on top. He swiftly thrusted his cock up into her pussy. As she was still recovering from climaxing just a few seconds ago, Natasha wasn't prepared to be taken so aggressively by Peter. Seeing him being so rough though...it was quite a turn-on for her. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh echoed in the room as his hips slammed into her ass repeatedly.

"Mnghh! Don't stop! Fuck my pussy, Peter!" She moaned.

Spidey kept thrusting into her tight pussy and moved his head upright so he could suck on her luscious tits. Black Widow bounced herself up and down on Peter's cock.

Peter gritted his teeth as his dick felt ready to blow any second now. "Nat, I'm gonna cum! "

"S-so am I!" Natasha breathed out, feeling her own climax building up quickly. "Fill up my pussy with your hot cum!"

The Black Widow's orgasm hit her first. Her vaginal fluids squirted all over Peter's dick, her mouth agape as the feeling of pleasure nearly overwhelmed her mind. Peter climaxed a second later and shot his cum deep into her pussy. His seed filled her up completely and when he finally pulled out, a bit of it leaked out of her throbbing sex.

Natasha laid her head down on Peter's chest, doing her best to catch her breath.

"Wow...it seems you've gotten even better at fucking too." She whispered with a coy smile. "I'm guessing you went at it with Maria and Wanda a lot, huh?"

Peter blushed, remembering all the times he made love with them back aboard the ship. "Y-yeah. Maria joked about how we were all part of the mile high club now since we had sex in space."

"Well, she is right in a way. Maybe you and I should try doing it in space too." The Black Widow playfully said.

The adrenaline in their bodies was fading away and post-sex fatigue was starting to set in on both of them. Peter and Natasha locked lips with each other once more before they laid back down onto the bed.

She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. "I love you, Peter."

"I love you too, Nat." Spidey whispered back.

The room grew quiet as Peter wrapped his arms around the Black Widow and held her close. The two Spiders soon fell asleep with a smile on their faces.

...

 **\- There's a simple reason why I don't write intimate scenes often. It's because I'm just not very good at it. Other authors are able to plan and write them out with ease but I don't possess such a talent. That being said, there will be a few more in later chapters...just not too much.**

 **\- Anyways, I hope you all liked it. Happy Holidays!**


	46. Chapter 46

**\- When I first decided to try the idea of having Peter in a multi-relationship for this story, I said it'd be done in a subtle and realistic way. Looking back though, I wasn't able to keep my word on that. Instead...the writing was done in a very simplistic fashion that was admittedly cringing to read at times. I'm sorry for not being able to deliver on what I originally intended. Tried as I did, there were a lot of moments where I just wasn't able to write out my ideas properly and had to look for an alternative.**

 **\- This doesn't mean I'm cutting the story short. I have no intention of leaving it unfinished...though you may have to accept my mediocre method of writing out a tale like this.**

 **There won't be another update until at least after the holidays are over. Enjoy.**

 **…**

Waking up in the early hours of the evening, Natasha rubbed away the sleep out of her eyes. It had been a long time since she slept this well. Being on the run from the U.S. government hadn't exactly been a vacation...she and the other rogue Avengers were sometimes forced to make do without some of the everyday luxuries that they'd taken for granted. Stifling a yawn, the Black Widow turned around and smiled when she saw Peter still snoozing beside her.

She ran her fingers through his soft brown hair. The young Spider had changed a bit during his time away from Earth. His attitude grew to be not only a little more mature but also ruthless in a fight. She had watched him closely in the battle of Wakanda. Peter's habit of taunting the enemy with jokes and quips was still present but when he attacked, it was executed with more force and effiency than before.

It wasn't enough for him to simply knock them out. Spider-Man now made certain to inflict at least one serious injury on the enemy so they wouldn't be able to keep fighting. The Black Widow doubted Spidey was going to start killing the crooks he ran into on his patrols...but it wasn't a stretch to think he'd hurt them so badly that they'd be in too much pain to be able to commit crime.

Natasha wondered just who it was that helped Peter refine his fighting moves. Maria had probably kept training with him and Wanda but it was possible Lady Sif and some of the Asgardians helped out too. Speaking of the Asgardians, the Black Widow recalled it would be sometime today that Thor and Hela returned. She hoped the two were able to locate their people...establishing a home for them all here on Earth was not going to be an easy task but they would do everything in their power to help them.

"Hmm..." The young Spider mumbled, slowly stirring awake. "Good morning, Nat."

Natasha gave Peter a quick kiss. "Morning. Seems like we're in for a rainy day."

Spidey looked out the window and saw dark clouds covering the sky. From the looks of things, there was going to be a heavy downpour today. He laid back down and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Guess so. It's a perfect day to stay in bed."

"No arguments here." Natasha murmured, enjoying the warmth of Peter's body. "Thor and Hela are coming back later today."

"I remember. I hope they were able to find the other Asgardians...especially Hilde and her kids."

"Who?"

"An Asgardian family that Heimdall and I saved from Hela's zombies." He explained. "Wanda, Maria, and I became good friends with Hilde and her two daughters."

Peter began to tell her a little bit about them and some of the other Asgardian friends that they made during their journey home. Natasha listened with interest, laughing softly whenever he brought up a funny moment. Hearing about how this Volstagg got scolded by his wife for getting drunk was particularly amusing.

"Something tells me that wasn't the first time she chewed him out."

Peter chuckled. "No but it doesn't happen often. They're usually sweet with each other most of the time."

Goose suddenly climbed on to the bed from out of nowhere, surprising the two Spiders. The Flerken meowed in greeting before she sat down in the middle of their blankets.

"Where did you come from?" Spidey asked, petting her head. "We locked the door yesterday, right?"

The Black Widow nodded. "We did...but I'm guessing Goose just squeezed her way in from beneath the door."

As Natasha scratched the cat behind her ears, Carol's voice suddenly echoed from out in the hall. "Goose, where are you? It's time to eat!"

"She's in here, Carol." Peter said loudly. "We'll bring her out."

Reluctant as they were to leave their warm bed, the two Spiders knew they had to get dressed and meet up with the others. Peter and Natasha got out of bed and put on a new change of clothes. Goose climbed up to her new favourite spot...specifically on top of Peter's head before they left his room.

…

"Not again." Carol muttered, seeing Goose lazing about on top of Spidey's head. "Sorry if she woke you up by accident."

Peter stood still as she pulled the Flerken off. "It's okay. I was already awake when Goose came into my room."

The cat glared at her owner for a bit before she made a beeline for her food dish. Jessica wandered in not long after, rubbing her sleepy eyes. A yawn escaped her lips as she dropped herself onto the couch and laid down.

"Good morning, Ms. Jones." Natasha greeted.

"Hey." The private eye mumbled. "Please just call me Jessica. I'm not old enough yet to be Ms. Jones."

Bruce came in a few minutes later with a data pad in his hands. After greeting everyone with a polite nod, the gamma specialist walked over to Carol and used the data pad to pull up a set of coordinates.

"We finally managed to find a satellite that recorded Tony's last known location last night. The thermal cameras were able to pick up a unique heat signature from the enemy ship." He said, showing her the thermal data.

Carol used the computer on her wrist to scan the data. It took a couple of minutes but her wrist computer was able to identify what type of ship it was from the heat signature and plotted out an estimated flight path.

"Okay...I'll head out tomorrow morning to go find him."

"I'll go tell Pepper. She'll be relieved to know we finally have a plan to find Tony." The Black Widow said before she left to call the CEO of Stark industries.

Bruce quickly thanked Captain Marvel and turned around to rejoin Rocket in his lab. Carol sat down next to Jessica on the couch as she continued to review the data.

The private eye sleepily watched the cosmic power heroine work with her wrist computer. "You think you'll be able to find Stark out there?"

"I believe so. The universe is a big place though...It might take a couple of weeks of searching before I'm able to return."

"We understand. Be careful up there." Peter said. He was sitting on the floor, playing with Goose.

Carol smiled. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to find him quickly and come home."

Something suddenly landed outside with a loud boom, alarming everyone in the room. Captain Marvel and the lone Defender thought some unknown enemy had arrived...but when the young Spider just stood up with a grin, they quickly grew confused.

"Relax. We're not under attack. That's probably just Thor and Hela. Right, Friday?"

The A.I.'s smooth Irish voice chimed in from above. _"That is correct. They and a few others have landed just outside in the back field."_

Spidey went out to greet them and the others followed him. Just like Friday said, the two Asgardian siblings had returned...and standing behind them were Jane and Darcy. While the astrophysicist smiled warmly at Peter, her intern ran forward to give him a hug.

"You're okay." She whispered, tearing up a bit. "So many people in town just turned into dust from out of nowhere...I-I thought you did too."

Peter held her close. "No, I'm here. Thank goodness nothing happened to you and Jane."

Darcy cradled his face with both of her hands...as if to make certain this wasn't some sort of dream. Peter leaned in and gently touched his forehead against Darcy's to let her know this was real. A single tear ran down the intern's face as she finally smiled back. Darcy wiped away some of her tears before she stepped to the side for her boss.

The astrophysicist embraced Spider-Man, relieved to see him in one piece. "Thor told us about the big battle you guys fought in Wakanda. I'm glad you're alright."

"Likewise. You and Darcy are a sight for sore eyes."

Jane smiled once more before she and her intern went to introduce themselves to Carol and Jessica. Peter turned to face the two Asgardian siblings...Hela looked to be alright but Thor seemed a little tired. Spidey got the feeling that the God of Thunder was more exhausted emotionally rather than physically. He and Captain had taken their loss against Thanos the hardest.

"Welcome back, guys. Were you able to find the other Asgardians?"

Peter nearly sighed out of relief when Hela nodded in response. "We have. We located them flying just past Saturn but..."

Her voice trailed off but he knew what she was referring to. "Thanos?"

"My people were unfortunately affected by Thanos's misuse of the Infinity Stones too." Thor stated quietly. "Only half survived being erased from existence."

Spidey clenched his fists...as if losing their home wasn't enough, now the Asgardians were reduced to half their number. Fenris seemed to have sensed his frustrations because she came over and nuzzled her nose against his hand. Peter smirked at the Asgardian Wolf and petted her on the head.

"I'm sorry, Thor. When will they get here?"

"The survivors will arrive on Earth in a month's time. We shall have to establish a place of settlement for them before then."

Hela awkwardly patted Thor on the back. "We'll handle that another time, brother. For now, you should let yourself rest from our journey."

Thor nodded in silence and hefted Stormbreaker onto his shoulder as he headed inside. Jane saw her ex-boyfriend leave and politely excused herself from her conversation with Carol before she followed him.

"...He's taking this hard."

The Goddess of Death sighed in agreement. "That's putting it lightly but I can understand how my brother feels. Had we stepped in to kill Thanos earlier, perhaps this wouldn't have happened."

Peter placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, none of us blame you guys. The two of you were busy helping the Wakandans fight off that bastard's alien army."

"...Thank you." Hela said with a small smile.

Jessica and Darcy were the next to go back inside while Captain Marvel walked up to them.

"Is that Thor guy alright? He seems really down."

"My brother is fine physically. It's the pain in his heart that's afflicting him."

Carol wasn't sure what to say to that. "I see...and you are?"

"This is Hela." Peter introduced. "She's the Asgardian Goddess of Death and Thor's older sister."

Hela extended her hand. "How do you do?"

Captain Marvel grasped her hand and shook it firmly. "It's a pleasure. I'm Carol."

Spider-Man led the way back inside the compound so they could talk in a more comfortable setting. The trio ran into Goose on the way. Everyone stopped in their tracks and curiously watched as Fenris and Goose approached one another. It was dead quiet for a moment. No one was sure about what would happen between the two animals. Not even Hela knew what her wolf's next move was going to be. As for Captain Marvel...she just hoped her cat wasn't going to try to eat Fenris.

Goose and Fenris continued to stare each other down as though they were in a stand-off. At first, they really believed the two creatures were either going to fight or chase each other...but neither of those scenarios happened. The Flerken just meowed to greet the Asgardian wolf instead before both pets wandered off together in the opposite direction.

"Um...is anyone else glad they didn't try to fight each other?" Spider-Man asked.

The Goddess of Death chuckled. "You aren't alone in that sentiment. It would've been a pain to explain the mess that might've been made had Fenris and that cat actually fought."

"I'm just glad Goose didn't eat your wolf."

Hela and Peter looked at Captain Marvel strangely, wondering what she meant by that. Carol realized neither of them knew her cat was really an alien Flerken and proceeded to explain what kind of creature Goose really was.

…

 _Later that evening..._

Carol took a sip of her tea as she stared out the window. Her eyes were admiring the night sky...which was littered with unusually bright stars tonight. The cosmic powered heroine had always enjoyed star-gazing even as a child. It was a pastime that helped to sort out her thoughts and relax. She would be leaving early in the morning tomorrow to search for Stark. His wife, Pepper, had thanked her endlessly when she and Natasha explained their plan to find him.

Many things have changed since she was last here on Earth. The technology, clothing, and culture of the people was vastly different than what she remembered. There was no regret or confusion on her part though...Carol didn't really care about not knowing how to use the latest cellphone or what the latest style was. What mattered to her the most was the best friend she had left behind two decades ago.

It did feel a little odd, to have Maria Rambeau and her daughter as the only people she deeply cared about on Earth. Fury was a friend too but the Rambeaus were her family...something the superheroine had lacked during her childhood. Carol didn't know if her own parents or brothers were still alive at this point. She wasn't feeling too driven to go look for them though. Was it a bit callous of her to dismiss them so easily? Perhaps but it was difficult to love a family that didn't show any for her.

Maria and Monica though...Carol had always wanted to visit them again but she got too caught up in her duties as a intergalactic heroine over the years. Whenever it seemed like she'd finally have time, another planet would be in jeopardy either due to a natural disaster or because of some dumb evil alien warlord's attempts to conquer them. Only now did she choose to come back home but her best friend and surrogate niece were gone.

 _'Some best friend I turned out to be.'_ She chastised herself mentally. _'I'm so sorry, Maria. I should've been there to keep you and Monica safe.'_

"...You okay, Carol?"

Captain Marvel looked away from the window and turned around. Peter was standing behind her...carrying Goose on his head again. Despite her mood, she couldn't help but laugh softly at the duo. Why her pet Flerken loved to laze about on top of Spidey's head was beyond her but seeing it happen was always funny.

"Yeah, I know." He said, grabbing a nicrowave burrito from out of the fridge. "Goose seems to think I'm her personal pillow or something."

"Maybe your hair is really soft. That's why she likes it up there."

"Perhaps. You didn't answer me earlier though...are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She reassured. "Just thinking of a few old friends. What brings you here? Where's Natasha?"

Peter waited for his burrito to be heated before he placed it on a small plate and moved to sit down beside her. "She's talking with Darcy and Pepper in the break room. My stomach got hungry while I was working on my suit. Thought I'd come here to have a little snack."

Carol shook her head out of amusement before her eyes drifted back out the window. The young Spider ate in silence, not wanting to interrupt her while she was thinking. He glanced up at the stars she was looking at...they were especially pretty tonight. Goose leapt off of Peter's head and climbed onto her owner's lap.

"...You miss Maria and Monica too, don't you?" Captain Marvel whispered, scratching Goose behind the ears.

The Flerken let out a sad meow as she laid her head down. Peter heard what Carol said to her pet but didn't ask anything about it. It wasn't any of his business unless she wished to share it with him. He did wonder who this Maria and Monica was though.

Carol knew he overheard her and decided there was no harm in telling him about them."Maria was my best friend. Monica was her daughter...I used to call her Lieutenant Trouble."

"That's a cool name. I'm guessing Monica was a real troublemaker."

Her lips curved into a smirk. The memories of all the mayhem Monica caused back then played out in her mind. "When she was younger? Oh yeah, definitely. Maria always scolded her at least once a day for doing something dumb."

"Are they still here or did the Infinity Stones get them too?" Peter asked albeit with some hesitation.

"No, they're gone."

"Oh...what about your family?"

Much to his surprise, Carol actually scoffed. "You mean my parents? I don't know...but they probably won't like the idea of me coming to look for them anyways."

"Why?"

"Let's just say my parents considered me to be the black sheep of the family when I was growing up."

Spidey didn't like the sound of that. "Did they mistreat you?"

"No, nothing like that. There was no abuse of any kind from them." She clarified. "My folks just never supported me much. They always paid more attention to my brothers. We pretty much cut ties after I joined the Air Force."

Peter couldn't imagine himself growing up in such a way. Though he was only their nephew, Ben and May treated him like their son and they were always supportive of his goals as a kid. It was little wonder why Carol had no desire to go looking for her own family...her parents only ever saw her as an annoyance at best.

"Well, I'd say you've done pretty well for yourself. You were a good aunt to your best friend's daughter, became an excellent test pilot for the Air Force and now you're a badass superheroine." He said with a mischievous smile.

Captain Marvel laughed as she threw her arm around Spider-Man's shoulder. "Thanks, Peter Parker. You're not so bad yourself...do you still remember the promise we made to each other a few months ago?"

"Of course. Once you came back to Earth, we would watch the Star Wars prequels since you never saw them."

"Well, how about we start with the first episode of the prequels now?" She suggested. It would be a good way to relax before she left to bring Stark home tomorrow. "After we kick Thanos's ass and bring everyone back, we'll watch the rest to celebrate."

The young Spider liked the idea. Some refreshments would be nice too...even though he just finished eating a burrito, his stomach still felt a bit empty.

"Sound good to me. I'll get the movie set up while you make us some snacks."

"You got it. I'll prepare us a junk food buffet...hope you're cool with that."

Peter just shrugged. "That's fine. I'm a junk food junkie anyways."

Carol gave a thumbs up in approval of his statement before she headed to the kitchen, ready to make some of her favourite snacks for them both to enjoy.

...

 **\- That last bit about Peter and Carol liking junk food is a homage to one of their interactions in the comics. Don't know about the rest of you but I actually liked the Phantom Menace. The dialogue may have been a little cheesy but it had an okay story to it. The action sequences were awesome though. Obi-Wan is my favourite character and all of his lightsaber duels are exciting to watch.**

 **\- I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.**


	47. Chapter 47

**\- Happy New Year! I hope you all had a good Christmas. There isn't much I have to say so let's just get right to it. Enjoy.**

 **…**

Carol departed early the next morning. After eating a quick breakfast, Peter and Pepper gathered in the back field to see her off. Captain Marvel promised them she'd return as soon as possible before she flew up towards the skies and rocketed off into deep space like a golden comet. The two of them stayed where they were until Carol eventually faded away from view.

"Don't worry, she'll find him." Spider-Man held his arm tight around her shoulders. "We should get back inside."

The CEO of Stark Industries nodded and followed along as Peter led the way back to the building. Ever since Tony went missing, she hadn't been sleeping very well and this time was no different. It was taking all she had just to stay awake. The young Spider noticed this and escorted Pepper to her room, much to her confusion.

"Mr. Stark would kill me for not taking care of you. Take today off and get some sleep. I'll swing by to bring your meal for lunch later."

Pepper rolled her tired eyes. "Peter, I'm fine."

He didn't buy it for a second. "Uh-huh. You sound just like Mr. Stark does whenever he denies that he's working too much. Go to bed."

"...Alright. I suppose napping for a couple of hours is okay but don't you dare let me sleep in until the evening."

"I make no promises."

Pepper sighed but she knew that was the best she was going to get from Peter. The red-headed woman thanked him with a warm smile before she entered her room and closed the door behind her. Spidey looked up to the ceiling for a second as he walked away.

"FRIDAY?"

 _"Yes, Peter?"_

"...You let me know if she has any nightmares, okay?"

 _"Of course."_ The A.I. said.

Spider-Man headed downstairs to the living area, where he spotted Darcy staring out of a window. He approached her from behind in silence and gently patted her back.

"Good morning, Darcy."

The brunette woman smiled and gave Peter a quick kiss. "Good morning."

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Now that I know you're okay, I'm a lot better now." She said, resting her head on his shoulder. "...Jane and I were freaking out pretty badly for almost a week after people in town started to disappear on us."

Peter held her close. "I understand...Natasha and I barely kept ourselves from panicking when we saw Wanda and some of the other Avengers die in front of us."

"The same thing happened with Erik. We were just talking with him and the next thing we knew...he was fading into dust."

"You can thank Thanos for that."

Darcy wrapped her arms around Peter's waist. "I know. Thor told Jane and I about the details of your battle in Wakanda. Do you guys have a plan to fix everything?"

"Sort of. Once we locate Thanos, we're going to take him down and then use the Infinity Gauntlet he has to bring everyone back." Peter said before he caressed Darcy's face and looked straight into her eyes. "I won't lie to you though. It's quite a long shot...there's no guarantee things will go that smoothly."

"It's better than nothing. Just be careful...and do me a favor once you guys find him."

"What is it?"

"Rip out that purple bastard's eye or something for me." She said with steel in her voice.

Peter just blinked a few times before he chuckled. "Well, that won't be easy but I'll do my best."

"As long as you hurt that grape moron, I'm cool."

"Understood. How's Jane doing?"

Darcy shrugged. "All things considered, she's doing okay. It's Thor that we're worried about...he's been kind of depressed lately."

"I know. He's been that way since we came back from Wakanda." Peter said sadly. "Loki and Heimdall died at the hands of Thanos...and Lady Sif was killed too when he used the Infinity Stones."

The beautiful intern felt her heart break for the God of Thunder. Not only was Asgard destroyed but so many of Thor's friends and loved ones were dead thanks to that purple jackass. Losing that many people in her life would've completely destroyed her emotionally.

"...I know it sounds crazy but I really want to kick Thanos in the balls right now."

Spider-Man smirked as they moved towards the couch and sat down. "That's assuming he even has any."

Darcy let out a playful gasp. "Peter Parker...did you just make a burn?"

"...Maybe."

The two interns laughed before they laid down and relaxed. Darcy rested her head on Peter's chest with a smile...after almost a year of being separated, being by his side again felt wonderful. Hela walked in not long after and noticed the young couple resting on the couch.

Spidey looked up and met her eyes. "Hi, Hela."

The Goddess of Death nodded. "Good morning. Forgive me if I've interrupted anything."

"Nah, you didn't." Darcy said. "We were just relaxing for a bit before breakfast time."

"I'll go cook something for us. Would you like some, Hela?" He asked.

"I'm fine. There's no need to trouble yourself on my behalf."

"It's no trouble at all. I'll whip up some bacon and scrambled eggs."

Peter pecked his lips on Darcy's forehead before he got up and went to the kitchen. His girlfriend sat up and grinned as she watched him work.

"I've got the best boyfriend ever." She bragged with pride in her voice.

Hela just smirked and acknowledged her words with an amused nod. The two of them sat across from each other in silence. While it was hard to tell with the Goddess of Death, Darcy felt a little awkward. Her mind struggled to think of something for them to talk about.

"So are you actually Thor's older sister?" She finally asked. "We've only met Loki...well, sort of. I only saw him once on T.V. when he attacked New York seven years ago. Jane's the only one who's actually met him and your parents in person."

"Well, Frigga wasn't my mother so we're technically half-siblings. Loki was adopted."

"Whoa, really? Good looks must run in your family though. I mean Thor's easy on the eyes while you're a drop dead gorgeous woman."

Hela chuckled. "Thank you. You're not so bad looking yourself. Peter's clearly got an eye for beauty when it comes to his lovers."

The look on Darcy's face as she blushed was downright adorable. "R-really? Compared to you, I look pretty boring though."

"Asgardians and Humans are very similar in terms of physical appearance. Trust me when I say your beauty rivals some of the young maidens on Asgard."

Peter slipped in from behind and served a plate of hot bacon and eggs to them both. "She's right. You're a drop dead gorgeous woman too, Darcy. Don't ever doubt that."

Darcy was certain her face now resembled a bright cherry from how much she was blushing. She grabbed her plate of food and began to quickly eat to avoid saying anything embarrassing. Spider-Man and the Goddess of Death laughed a bit before they dug into their own breakfast.

"This is good, Peter." Hela said, taking a bite of the eggs. "Thank you for cooking us breakfast."

"You're welcome."

Darcy took a drink of water to wash down the piece of bacon in her throat. "What are your plans for today?"

"Not much. I'll be tinkering with my suit for a bit and then I have to check up on Pepper later. You?"

"Not sure...I don't think Jane has any papers for me to look over. Do you mind if I just watch you work in your lab?"

Peter shook his head. "Of course not. What about you, Hela?"

"With my brother still brooding, I think it'd be best if I got us started on finding a place of settlement for my people when they arrive. I will ask Lady Natasha later for her assistance."

Spidey thought about Tønsberg, the little town that they stayed in for two days after coming back to Earth. The surrounding land around the town was very large and spacious...it could probably accommodate all of the Asgardian refugees.

"Maybe the area around Tønsberg is a good place. There seems to be enough space there for everyone." He suggested.

Hela remembered the place. It was a quiet little town located on the cliffs overlooking the sea in Norway. She'd have to go there again to be certain but it seemed to be suitable for her people to reside in.

"That's not a bad idea." She said. "I'll head there in a few days to see if there is sufficient space for all of my people."

…

 _Three weeks later..._

It's been almost a month since Captain Marvel left for deep space to find Tony. There was no sign of her returning yet but Peter felt confident that Carol was okay and still looking earnestly for Ironman. He wasn't the only one who was missing though. For the past few weeks, he and Jessica assisted the Black Widow in trying to find Hawkeye. Natasha had been worried about her old friend and his family for a while now but when they went to go look...there was no sign of them at the farm.

All they found was a wooden table with untouched food laid out on top. From the evidence, Jessica deduced that they were probably just about to enjoy a picnic when Thanos snapped his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet. The Barton family had likely been erased from existence too.

There were signs that Clint was still amongst the living though. His trademark bow was missing, which was something he'd never leave behind. His combat attire was also gone. Wherever Hawkeye was, it seemed like he was getting ready for a tough fight.

The other Avengers had been busy with various other tasks. Steve and Buck were doing what they could to help Bruce and Rocket locate where Thanos was hiding. Neither of the WWII veterans knew much about the mechanics of satellites and probes but they were able to read the data that said devices recorded.

As for Thor and Hela, they were in Norway to establish a new home for their people. They took Peter's suggestion and went to Tonsberg to see if it was suitable. The surrounding land was more than large enough for everyone to settle on and they chose to build New Asgard close to the sea, which provided them with a bountiful supply of fish. Jane helped to work out the logistics with the townspeople of Tonsberg. They were kind enough to let the people their ancestors worshipped live with them as neighbors and some even volunteered to assist in the construction of the new homes and port.

Darcy on the other hand stayed with Pepper and made sure she didn't work herself to death. Getting her to take a break was almost a nigh impossible task. The CEO of Stark industries was a stubborn woman who always insisted she was fine. That was almost never true though and on more than one occasion, Darcy had to pull Pepper away from her office so she could at least eat something.

She understood why Pepper wanted to work though...by staying busy, she could distract herself from worrying about Tony too much. Ironically, it was a method that her husband often employed to avoid going to bed.

Tonight was a good night though as Darcy somehow managed to convince Pepper to go to bed early. It was probably because she hadn't been sleeping much again for the past two days but it was a small victory nonetheless. After closing the door to her room, Darcy made her way down to the break area and dropped down onto the soft couch.

"Long day?"

She nodded her head and gave Peter a tired smile. "I don't know how Pepper manages to avoid punching some of those asshole business folks in the face...that woman's got the patience of a saint."

"Considering she has to deal with Mr. Stark on a daily basis, I'm not surprised. Just imagine if she didn't have so much patience and was quick to anger."

Darcy shuddered at the scary thought. If that were the case, Pepper would've probably strangled Tony Stark a long time ago. Peter sat down and leaned in to give her a quick kiss.

"How's the search for Hawkeye going?"

"We still haven't found him." The young Spider said quietly. "The man is a trained spy. He knows how to avoid being seen. "

Her hand grasped his and held on with a gentle grip. "So how are you going to find him?"

"For now, the only thing we can do is wait until he makes a move. Whatever Hawkeye does next probably isn't going to be nice though."

"What makes you say that?"

Peter's face turned serious for a moment. "Considering Hawkeye brought his weapons with him, I don't think any bad guy that he runs into is going to be alive for very long."

Darcy understood what her boyfriend was alluding to. It was difficult to imagine an Avenger like Hawkeye killing in cold blood...but then she remembered the man used to be a spy/assassin for SHIELD.

"Guess we'll be seeing a bunch of news about dead criminals pretty soon then." She muttered.

"If we don't find Hawkeye first? Probably."

Bucky entered the room a few seconds later and said hello to them before he grabbed himself a bottle of beer from the fridge. Peter hadn't really interacted much with the former Winter Soldier. The man was always busy with something whenever he saw him. So far, the only time they've spoken was when Captain America introduced to them each other shortly after leaving Wakanda.

"Mind if I sit here?" He asked.

Darcy shook her head. "Not at all, dude. Go ahead."

Bucky smiled in thanks and sat in a chair across from them. Cracking open the bottle, the WWII veteran took a long swig of his beer and pulled back when only about half of the liquor still remained.

"I don't believe we've properly met, ma'am. I'm Bucky Barnes."

"Darcy Lewis." She replied. "You already know my boyfriend here, Peter Parker."

"I do. Good to see you again, Peter."

"Likewise. How have you been?"

"So far so good...wish I could say the same for the rest of the world though."

"No kidding." Spider-Man mumbled. "What happened to your Vibranium arm?"

Bucky spared a quick glance at his missing limb. "Oh, I took it off. I figured there was no point in keeping it on in non-combat situations."

"Isn't that a little...inconvenient though?" Darcy asked.

"It's actually not that bad. After Shuri removed the Hydra programming in my head, I had her take off my previous artificial arm too. For almost a year, I lived in the outskirts of Wakanda with only my real arm."

Peter was reminded of the Wakandan princess when he mentioned her name. They had only met for a short bit but she seemed like such a cool person to hang out with. The young Spider deeply regretted not being able to save her life again like he did in Lagos.

"The only thing that annoys me from time to time is the phantom pain." Bucky said with a slight frown.

"Phantom pain? What's that?"

"Sometimes Bucky still feels like his arm hurts even though it's no longer there." Peter explained. "It's usually just a sore burning sensation."

The nearly hundred year old man was a little impressed. "How did you know that, kid?"

"My uncle served in the army once. He sometimes told me stories about his friends who lost an arm or leg to IEDs or surgical amputation."

"...The life of a soldier isn't an easy one."

Peter and Darcy couldn't agree more with that statement. Neither of them knew what it was like to be in the armed forces but they understood that soldiers suffered a lot even long after their service was over. In the case of Bucky and Captain America, it was a wonder both of them haven't turned insane from everything that's happened over the years.

…

 _Two more days pass..._

The Black Widow was reading a report about a suspicious murder case that happened in New Mexico when the ceiling suddenly began to shake. She dropped the papers in her hands and rushed out of the room. Steve and Banner met up with her in the hall. They too were on their way outside to see what was happening.

Spidey, Pepper, and Rhodey were already there, staring up at the spaceship that Captain Marvel was bringing in for landing. They all took a step back as the ship's landing gear kicked in and Carol set the ship down on the grassy field. From the cockpit, a hatch opened with a series of stairs. A dehydrated and starving Tony Stark slowly exited the ship with the help of an alien blue skinned woman.

Captain America and Peter immediately rushed to help Tony walk. They wrapped both his arms around their shoulders to hold him steady. Tony turned his head around and gave the blue woman a nod of thanks.

"Easy, Mr. Stark." Spidey said. The man was panting heavily, doing his best to breathe.

"I couldn't stop him."

"Neither could I." Steve muttered, matching his pace with the billionaire's.

Tony turned to Peter, grateful to see he was alright. "Glad you're okay, underoos. I thought we had lost you too."

"We could say the same about you."

"I-is..."

The question about the state of his wife was quickly answered when Pepper ran up and appeared in front of him.

Tony nearly fainted out of relief. "Oh, good."

"Oh my god..." Pepper sobbed out as she embraced her husband. "Oh my god."

Spidey moved aside so she could take his place in supporting Tony. With Steve's help, they slowly walked towards the compound. Banner, Rhodey, and Natasha had already gone back to prepare the medical bay for the injured billionaire. Nebula was sitting down on the steps of the ship with Rocket...who arrived outside shortly after everyone else. The raccoon held her hand as they thought about the fallen Guardians.

Aside from them, Spider-Man and Captain Marvel were the last ones still standing in the field.

"Thanks for bringing back Mr. Stark." Peter said. "Are you okay?"

Carol gave a small smile. "I'm fine. Throat's a little dry from my re-entering the atmosphere earlier."

Spidey led the way back inside and they made their way to the break room. He grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She removed the cap and took a long drink. "Ah, that's refreshing. So how's it been here?"

Peter stood with his arms folded. "Better. World's still a mess but things are starting to settle down a bit. Was it tough finding Mr. Stark?"

"No but he and Nebula were stranded in a very remote part of space. It took me a while to narrow down their exact location."

"Nebula?"

"The blue alien woman that you saw earlier." Carol explained. "She, Tony, and some guy named Strange fought with the Guardians of the Galaxy against Thanos on Titan but...it didn't go so well."

That went without saying. Still, Thanos did mention that Stark was the first enemy to make him bleed. Even though he and the Guardians failed to stop him in the end...the young Spider had no doubts that they gave the mad Titan one hell of a fight.

"So what's our next move?"

Peter sat down next to her. "Mr. Stark might know something that could help us find Thanos. For now, we'll just have to wait until he recovers enough to talk."

...

 **\- For those who were wondering, IED stands for incendiary or improvised explosive device. The Phantom Pain bit is a small reference to Metal Gear Solid V.**

 **\- They never revealed who Hela's mother was in the MCU but Thor did confirm they were only half-siblings in Infinity War. Till next time, everyone.**


	48. Chapter 48

**\- This update might seem a little boring to some of you as most events play out like they did in the film.**

 **Take your time reading.**

 **...**

"Careful, it's hot."

Peter set a bowl of chicken noodle soup down on the table but Tony didn't seem to be listening. The weakened billionare was bound in a wheelchair with an IV stand beside him. Shortly after he woke up, Captain America told him about their battle against Thanos in Wakanda and now he was doing his best to process all the details in his mind.

"It's been twenty three days since Thanos came to Earth." Rhodey said.

The table Tony sat at was projecting a holographic display of all the fellow Avengers and their allies who perished from Thanos's misuse of the Infinity Stones. When the images of Wanda and Maria showed up on screen, Spidey gazed at them longingly with sad eyes. Jessica placed her hand on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him. Carol's lip quivered a little when she saw Fury's picture amongst the profiles of the deceased.

"World Governments are in pieces. The parts that are still working are trying to take a census." Natasha informed. "...And it looks like he did exactly what he said he was going to do. Thanos wiped out fifty percent of all living creatures."

Tony looked to Steve. "...Where is he now? Where?"

"We don't know. He just opened a portal and walked through."

Stark let out a sigh before he pushed himself closer to the table. His eyes turned to the right and noticed Thor sitting in the next room with a forlorn expression on his face.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked, pointing at the God of Thunder.

Rocket's voice piped up. "Oh, he's pissed. He thinks he failed."

Tony stared at the talking raccoon in slight disbelief.

"...Which, of course, he did but there's a lot of that going around, ain't there?"

"Honestly until this exact second...I thought you were a Build-A-Bear."

Jessica snorted out of amusement and leaned in closer to Peter's ear. "That's better than what Carol and I call him."

The young Spider quietly chuckled. As for Rocket, he didn't know what a Build-A-Bear was but the raccoon decided to just roll with it.

"Maybe I am."

"...And who are you?" Tony asked, addressing the raven haired woman standing beside his intern.

"The name's Jessica Jones. I'm a private detective and an old friend of Peter's."

"Kid?"

Peter nodded. "It's okay. I've known Jessica for a long time. She's here to help us."

"Oh, that's good. But it's a little late now though, don't you think?"

"Hey...take it easy. There was no way she could've known what was happening, Mr. Stark."

Steve cleared his throat to get things back on track. "We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep space scans and satellites and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him."

Tony looked at the super soldier as though he'd grown a third eye. "Who told you that? I didn't fight him. No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleeker Street magician gave away the store. That's what happened."

"Okay..."

"There was no fight because he's not beatable."

"Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?" Cap asked.

Tony just sputtered negatively to that. Natasha sighed at the way Stark was acting...she knew he was being difficult because of the issues that were still unresolved between him and Steve.

"I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision." Tony mumbled. "I didn't want to believe it...thought I was dreaming."

Cap stood up. "Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus."

"And I needed you. As in, past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late, buddy. Sorry."

Stark took a whiff of his soup before he abruptly pushed it aside.

"You know what I need? I need a shave..." He said, rising from his wheelchair.

Tony then pulled the catheter out of his wrist and turned to look at his intern for a moment. "You weren't here back then, kid...but I remember telling all of them that what we needed was a suit of armor around the world, remember? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not, that's what we needed."

Cap sighed. "Well, that didn't work out. Did it?"

"I said we'd lose. You said we'll do that together too and guess what, Cap? We lost and you weren't there."

Rhodey attempted to get Tony to sit back down but his best friend wasn't done talking yet. "But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact? We're the Avengers. Not the Pre-vengers, right?"

"Okay. You made your point. Just sit down, okay?" Rhodey said.

"No, no. Here's my point..." Tony trailed off as he turned his attention to Captain Marvel. "She's great by the way. We need you, you're new blood. Bunch of tired old mules."

"Alright, just sit back down."

Carol looked at Tony, uncertain about how to respond. The billionaire was starting to get delirious at this point and Peter went to help Rhodey put him back into the wheelchair. Stark moved away before they could get close and marched towards Captain America.

"I got nothing for you, Cap. I got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options. Zero, zip, nada. No trust, liar."

Tony then ripped off the nanite reactor off his chest and spitefully placed into Steve's hand. "Here, take this. You find him, you put that on...you hide."

A shaky breath escaped Stark's lips before he suddenly collapsed on one knee.

"Tony!" Cap called out, kneeling down to help.

"I-I'm fine. Let me..." Tony muttered before he finally lost consciousness and fell to the floor.

Peter knelt down by the unconscious Ironman's side and lifted him up carefully. Rhodey moved to call Banner down while Carol helped the webslinger move Tony to an empty bed in the other room. Steve just stood where he was, staring at the nanite arc reactor in his hand with a heavy heart.

…

Rhodey removed Tony's glasses off his sleeping face and set them aside on the table. After giving Pepper a reassuring nod, he left the room so she could watch over her husband in peace. Natasha, Steve, and Carol were waiting out in the hall.

"Bruce gave him a sedative." He informed. "He's gonna probably be out for the rest of the day."

"Well, you guys take care of him...and I'll bring him an Xorrian elixir when I come back." Carol said before she turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Steve asked.

Her response was one that took everyone by surprise.

"...To kill Thanos."

Peter raised his eyes a little. He knew Carol was strong but even someone like her would be hard pressed to kill the mad Titan by herself. After all, Thor was roughly equal to her in power and he barely survived his first battle against Thanos. Black Widow shared a concerned look with Cap before she moved to catch up with Carol.

"Hey." She called out. Captain Marvel stopped and turned around to face her. "You know we usually work as a team here and between you and I...morale's a little fragile."

"We realize up there's more your territory but this is our fight too." Steve added.

Rhodey leaned against the doorway with his arms folded. "You even know where he is?"

"I know people who might." Carol said.

"Don't bother. I can tell you where Thanos is."

All eyes turned to Nebula, who was standing near the door. Neither of them realized she had been there the whole time. Captain America walked up to the blue alien woman with a serious look on his face.

"...Show us."

Nebula nodded and motioned for Rocket to come give her a hand. The raccoon typed away on the computer as she told him which system and planet her 'father' was hiding out on. The rest of the Avengers gathered around the table and watched them work. Thor was busy munching away on some food at another table nearby but he paid close attention to everything that was happening.

"Thanos spent a long time trying to 'perfect' me and when he worked, he talked about his great plan." She muttered. Memories of her nightmarish past played out in her head. "Even disassembled, I wanted to please him. I'd asked where would we go once his plan was complete? And his answer was always the same...to the Garden."

Rhodey scoffed. "That's cute. Thanos has a retirement plan."

"So where is he then?" Steve asked.

Rocket Raccoon pulled up a holographic image of Earth. "When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions, no one's ever seen anything like it."

He then scrolled the map to another part of the galaxy and a different celestial body showed up on screen. "Until two days ago, on this planet..."

"Thanos is there." Nebula confirmed.

Black Widow took a better look at the energy readings. They were disturbingly similar to that of Earth's from a month ago. "He used the stones again."

Banner let out a nervous chuckle. "Hey, hey, hey. We'd be going in shorthanded, y'know?"

"Look, he's still got the stones so..." Rhodey muttered.

"So let's get them." Carol suggested. "Use them to bring everyone back."

"Just like that?"

Steve found himself agreeing with her. "Yeah. Just like that."

"Even if there's a small chance we can do this, I mean we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try." Natasha said, glancing at everyone.

Bruce still wasn't convinced. "If we do this, how do we know it's gonna end up any differently than before?"

"Because before you didn't have me." Captain Marvel stated boldly.

War Machine gave her an incredulous look. "Hey, new girl? Everyone here is about that superhero life...and if you don't mind my asking, where the hell have you been all this time?"

"There are a lot of other planets in the universe...and unfortunately, they didn't have you guys."

Colonel Rhodes grudgingly admitted that it was a good point on Carol's part and held back from saying anything else. Thor rose from his seat before he began to walk towards Captain Marvel with an unreadable look on his face. Like most of the others, Peter wondered what was going on through the God of Thunder's mind. He'd been unusually quiet ever since his sister sent him back here from New Asgard.

Raising his right arm, there was a soft rumbling noise as Stormbreaker flew past her from behind and into his hand. Carol didn't so much as flinch and she only gave a small challenging smirk.

Thor set his hammer down handle first and nodded approvingly at her lack of fear. "I like this one."

While Natasha and Peter just looked amused at what just happened, Captain America never took his eyes off the holographic image of the planet that Thanos was supposedly hiding on. He knew this was the only chance they'd have to bring everybody back.

"...Let's go get this son of a bitch." He said.

…

The _Benatar_ could only hold a certain amount of people so not everyone came along on this desperate mission. For obvious reasons, Ironman wasn't able to go. Jessica decided to stay behind as well so she could help Darcy watch over Pepper and Tony. Spider-Man made the suggestion of bringing Hela along too. Aside from Thor and Carol, she was one of the most powerful individuals on their side. The God of Thunder declined the idea though, saying that she was busy with the important task of building a new home for the Asgardian refugees.

He insisted that it was his responsibility to make things right and swore to kill Thanos himself once they reclaimed the Infinity Stones.

Most of the Avengers sat in the cockpit while Peter and Bucky made themselves comfortable in the back. The White Wolf was busy inspecting all the parts of his rifle to ensure the weapon was in working condition. When they heard Nebula say the ship was about to jump, the two of them tightened their seatbelts and braced themselves. Everyone could feel the ship rocking a bit as it traveled through a wormhole towards their destination.

Spidey could almost hear his heart pounding away in his chest. He was feeling both a little nervous and anxious at the same time. It wasn't the idea of fighting Thanos again that scared the young Spider...after all, he had already gone toe to toe with him in Wakanda. No, what unnerved him was the scary possibility of being unable to save everyone even after they took the Infinity Gauntlet.

Taking a deep breath, Peter forced himself to calm down...losing his cool definitely wasn't going to help at all.

The _Benatar_ finally exited the wormhole and re-entered normal space. Just a short distance away in front was the planet that Thanos was hiding on. Carol opened the hatch doors and exited the ship.

 _"I'll head down for recon."_ She said, looking back at the others.

Peter activated his comms. "Watch yourself down there."

 _"I will. Be back in a bit."_

The others went to gather their gear and prepared themselves for a tough battle. Banner went down to the lower deck to prepare the Hulk-Buster suit he had brought along. Even after a month, the Hulk was refusing to come out at all. Rhodey ran a simple diagnostics check on his armor while Natasha used the ship's scanners to see what the topography of the planet was like. Pulling an antique watch from his pocket, Steve stared longingly at the small picture of Peggy Carter inside.

"...This is going to work, Steve." The Black Widow said.

"I know it is." Captain America muttered before he put away the watch and turned to look at her. "...Because I don't know what I'm gonna do if it doesn't."

Peter slapped his web-shooters back onto his wrists and loaded them with fresh web cartridges. Thor was sitting beside him, mumbling a quiet Asgardian prayer. The God of Thunder wanted nothing more than to just fly down to the planet and put an end to Thanos already. They needed to force the mad Titan to reveal where the Infinity Gauntlet was first though. The golden comet that was Captain Marvel flew back to their position twenty minutes later.

Steve spoke into his communicator. "Danvers, how does it look down there?"

"No satellites. No ships. No armies. No ground defences of any kind." She revealed, looking very confused. "...It's just him."

That caught most of them off guard...with the exception of Thor, who didn't seem to care.

"Are you sure?" Natasha asked.

Carol nodded. "I double-checked the area just to be certain. There's nothing around his hut except for a garden."

Nebula didn't see what the problem was. If there was nothing getting in their way to Thanos, they should just take it. She didn't know it but Thor and War Machine shared the same sentiment.

"Then that's enough." Nebula said.

All that was left now was to come up with a plan of attack.

…

Thanos set the pot of soup over the fire before he sat down. The left side of his face was horribly scarred, as was his left arm. Bringing balance to the universe had come at a terrible cost but he felt it was worth it. Now life would be able to thrive without having to worry about the lack of basic resources. As Thanos stared at the small fire, there was something creaking near the doorway. The mad Titan looked up for a moment before a golden blast of energy shot through the walls of his hut.

He raised the mangled Infinity Gauntlet to block the blast but Captain Marvel suddenly flew in and booted Thanos in the face. He was a little dazed but quickly put up his guard again. Unbeknownst to the Titan, Spider-Man had been holding onto Carol when she flew in and let go just before she attacked. Blinding Thanos in the eyes with a shot of webbing, Peter drove a hard dropkick into the mad Titan's groin while he was blinded.

"That was for Wanda and Maria, you son of a bitch."

Thanos collapsed down to one knee as intense stings of pain assaulted the nerves in his lower extremities. He ripped the webbing off his eyes with his good hand but Carol quickly wrapped her arms around Thanos's neck and held him down with a strong chokehold. She kicked down the arm wearing the gauntlet with her right leg. The foundations of the hut shook before Banner suddenly burst up from the ground, wearing the Hulk-Buster suit. He grabbed the Titan's left arm while War Machine landed and held down his other arm.

Thanos struggled to break himself free but then the God of Thunder crashed through the roof and with one powerful swing, used Stormbreaker to chop off his left arm.

"Aauuggh!"

The Infinity Gauntlet fell to the floor with a loud thud. Captain America, Bucky and Black Widow entered the hut a second later with Rocket and Nebula right behind them. The White Wolf aimed his rifle at Thanos's head while Rocket went to the gauntlet and flipped it over...only to discover the stones were no longer there.

"Oh no..." He muttered out of horror.

Steve looked over at the empty gauntlet before he turned his attention back to Thanos. "Where are they?"

He didn't answer at first and glared at the super soldier in defiance. Captain Marvel tightened her grip around Thanos's neck, nearly making him suffocate.

"Answer the question." She said threateningly.

"Ngh...the universe required correction." He uttered. "After that, the stones served no purpose beyond temptation."

In a fit of rage, Bruce pushed him down to the floor. "You murdered trillions!"

"You should be grateful-ugh!" Thanos said before a large metal fist decked his face.

Natasha quickly figured out the fate of the Infinity Stones but she didn't want to believe it. "Where are the stones?"

His response was one that gave them all a feeling of despair. "Gone. Reduced to atoms."

"You used them two days ago!"

"I used the stones to destroy the stones." Thanos weakly revealed. "It nearly killed me...but the work is done, it always will be. I am inevitable."

War Machine was doing his best not to panic as he looked around the room. "We have to tear this place apart. H-he has to be lying."

Spider-Man believed that as well but then Nebula said something that unintentionally shut their hopes down.

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them."

Thanos looked up at her with a hint of appreciation. "Oh...thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly."

The second he finished saying that, Thor swiftly decapitated the mad Titan. His head fell to the floor and rolled around before it stopped in front of Nebula. A bit of his blood splashed onto her face.

Rocket turned to Thor in disbelief. "What did you do?"

"...I went for the head." The God of Thunder muttered before he wandered out of the hut.

Nebula knelt down to her father's detached head and closed his dead eyes. Captain America and Banner just stared at the ground in defeat. Unable to accept that they've lost for good, Bucky and Rhodey began to tear the hut apart in a vain effort to find the stones. Captain Marvel and the Black Widow stood still, paralyzed with grief as they struggled to keep themselves from breaking down into a sobbing mess.

With tears running down his face behind the mask, Peter pulled Natasha in for a gentle embrace. Her arms held onto him with a firm grip as she finally allowed herself to mourn for the loved ones that were never coming back.

...

 **\- As tough as Thanos is, I'm pretty sure getting struck in the groin would still hurt him.**

 **\- It'll take some time before the next chapter is released. The holidays are over and I've gone back to work again. Rest assured I'll be working on this as often as possible. See you all next time.**


	49. Chapter 49

**\- I've been rereading some of my old Marvel comic books, namely the original Civil War storyline and the Secret Invasion. It caught me by surprise when I realized those major events in the 616 universe are almost a decade old now. Civil War was introduced** **around 2005 while the whole Secret Invasion started at the end of 2007...I think. It's 2020 now but sometimes it feels like those storylines just happened recently.**

 **But I know you're not here to read about my trip down memory lane. Odds are some of you may not even know what I'm talking about. Please enjoy the story.**

 **...**

Their journey trip back to Earth was a quiet one. Nobody had the heart to say anything after they left the mad Titan's planet. Killing Thanos was the only thing that they accomplished and even then it didn't make their defeat any less bearable. With the Infinity Stones destroyed, there was no way to bring back all the people who were erased from existence.

The time was a little past midnight when they arrived home. Rocket landed the _Benatar_ in the grass field south of the Avengers Compound. The team sullenly exited the ship one by one until Spider-Man and the Black Widow were the only ones left. Natasha hadn't let go of Peter's hand for the entire trip...his presence was the only thing that kept her from breaking down again.

"Nat?" He whispered, pulling her up from her seat. "Let's go inside."

The Black Widow nodded in silence and leaned her head on Peter's shoulder as he led the way. They walked past the infirmary, where he saw Rhodey speaking with Pepper and a bedridden Tony. He was presumably telling them the details of what happened at the Garden and the cold harsh fact that nothing could be done to save the ones who were erased. Spidey didn't envy that task...but he'd have to do it himself when it came time to tell Darcy tomorrow.

When they finally reached her quarters, she went to her drawer and pulled some clothes out to change into. He tried to leave to give her some privacy but she grabbed him by the arm.

"Please...stay." Natasha whispered before she pressed her lips against Peter's.

The young Spider gave a small smile once they pulled apart and he closed the door behind him. His suit retracted back into the web-shooters. Natasha changed into a comfortable shirt and pair of shorts before she climbed into her bed. Peter removed his web-shooters and set them down on her dresser. Taking off his jeans, he slipped beneath the blankets and laid down beside her.

She moved over and rested her head on Peter's chest. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes again as she thought of Wanda and Maria. She felt like a fool for believing things would be fixed so easily...nothing in their lives had ever gone so smoothly.

Why the hell did she think this time would be any different?

"Nat...it wasn't your fault." He whispered, sliding his arm around her waist.

She let out a humorless chuckle. "It isn't? I told Steve that everything would turn out okay...but look at us now. We still failed. I ended up raising our hopes for nothing."

"We were all hoping for the best. There's nothing wrong with that."

"...None of our team deserved to die at the hands of that bastard."

Peter kissed the top of her head. "I know. At the very least, Thor killed him."

"It doesn't really help the situation on Earth though. You're telling Darcy about what happened tomorrow, right?"

"There's no point in hiding it from her. I don't think she'll take this well though."

"No...but we'll be there for her." She whispered.

That went without saying. He made a promise to check on Carol too. She looked utterly devastated when they learned about the destruction of the Infinity Stones. It was fair to believe she would be mourning for Maria and Monica Rambeau again tonight. The single mother and her daughter were the only loved ones she had left on Earth and now there was no chance of bringing them back.

Natasha caressed the side of Peter's face with her left hand. "I'm glad you're still with me."

"I always will be. Whatever comes next...we'll face it together."

…

 _Four years later..._

It took a long time but the world was able to eventually move on. Life returned to normal for most people...although there were a few noticeable differences. With half of the population still missing, the streets of a lot of major cities were eerily quieter than ever before and New York was no exception. Empty vehicles still littered some of the roads. Surrounding the Statue of Liberty were dozens of abandoned ships and boats. With no one to maintain them, the metal on some of the ships were rusting away.

Public schools and private institutions were in disarray for almost a year but the government was eventually able to get things back on track. A memorial had been erected in Central Park to honour the many who died so suddenly. So many names were carved into the stone and it still scared some people to know that there was once something out there capable of eradicating lives on such a grand scale.

The general public decided to call this tragedy the 'Decimation'...which seemed appropriate given how half of all life was erased in an instant.

There were some people who blamed the Avengers and other superhumans for the Decimation. These individuals were the same folks who had never held them in the highest regard to begin with. Very few took the haters seriously though and the latter ended up looking like fools. Most didn't believe the superhero team to be responsible while some just decided actual evidence was needed to back up such outrageous claims.

The Avengers had changed a lot too. Captain America decided to step down from being the leader of the team temporarily. For the past three years, he and Bucky helped to counsel those who were still traumatized by the major tragedy in weekly group therapy sessions. Tony Stark retired from active service as Ironman so he could focus on being a loving husband/father to Pepper and their young daughter, Morgan.

Pepper gave birth to a beautiful little girl about a year after the battle of Wakanda. Oddly enough, Tony decided to name his daughter after Pepper's alleged eccentric uncle. Pepper only allowed it because Morgan was a beautiful name that actually suited their child. The newborn Stark was a cute bundle of joy and everyone immediately grew attached to her.

Dr. Banner also took some time off to resume his old career as a scientist. Miraculously, he learned how to gain control of his Hulk form by shutting himself in a gamma lab for eighteen months. Now Bruce not only possessed the strength of the Hulk but he also retained his intelligence and sense of calm. War Machine on the other hand continued to serve as an Avenger and he was often sent to take down criminals making trouble in other nations.

The Black Widow was now the interim leader of the Avengers and coordinated the team's movements from the Compound. She didn't work in the field as much anymore and while it felt odd for her at first to be the one giving out orders, Natasha eventually grew used to it. Carol was able to help the Avengers on Earth more often now, thanks to Rocket and Nebula assisting her in protecting other planets.

As for Spider-Man...he spent a lot of time in New Asgard, helping the Asgardians adjust to their new lives on Earth. Thor still sat on the throne...but he hadn't been doing a very good job of being their King. The God of Thunder was still deeply depressed about their loss against Thanos and he spent most of his days wallowing in pity while trying to drown out his sorrows. Valkyrie stepped up as the unofficial leader in his stead and she proved to be a surprisingly effective ruler.

Hela worked with her closely to guide their people despite their uneasy relationship with each other. The irony was not lost on either of them but they understood the future of their race was more important than their petty grievances.

Peter was currently in New Asgard now, fixing the outboard engine of a fishing boat in the harbour. He took out a couple of broken drive belts and replaced them with some new ones.

"Alright, give it a crank!" He yelled.

Bjorn nodded before he turned on the ignition again. Instead of the failing sputter noises the engine was making earlier, it now roared smoothly like it just came back to life. The Asgardian fisherman grinned and gave Spidey a thumbs up.

"We got it!"

Peter returned the gesture and wiped his hands with a rag before he stepped off the boat. Bjorn left the driver's seat and joined him on the dock.

"Thanks for your help. My boat has been acting up for the last couple of days but I couldn't figure out why."

"Ah, it was no trouble at all. Is there anything else that needs fixing?"

Bjorn shook his head. "No. I'll let Helga know that our boat is repaired. Thank you again."

Spidey waved goodbye to the former soldier. The few surviving Asgardian soldiers that were left had retired from active duty. Bjorn was just one of the many who took up fishing as a new profession. They still kept up with their training though to honour their proud warrior traditions. It hadn't been easy for the Asgardians to adjust to their new lives on Earth but their drive to succeed and pure stubbornness helped them learn quickly.

Hefting his tool bag behind his shoulder, Peter left the harbour and headed in the direction of Thor's house. The sound of guns firing could be heard as he got to the front door...Korg was probably playing Fortnite again online. The rock giant was surprisingly a good gamer.

"Thor? You there?" Peter called out, entering the house.

Korg paused the game and waved at the webslinger. "Hey, Peter. Thor's asleep over there."

Spidey looked over at the couch on the other side of the small living room and found the God of Thunder snoring away. There were bread crumbs in his messy beard and in his left hand held a half full can of beer. Miek was standing at the small table beside the couch, laying out some aspirin and a glass of water. They were presumably for Thor after he woke up and his hangover got to him.

Peter bumped fists with the insectoid alien. "What's up, Miek?"

Miek just shrugged before he pointed at Thor and chattered away with a tone of exasperation in his voice. It seemed like he was a little annoyed about having to deal with Thor's drunken antics on a daily basis.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Jane will give him a good scolding. Where is she anyways?"

"Oh, She left with Darcy to buy some food for lunch." Korg said. "You want to wait here? They'll be back soon."

Peter nodded and set his bag of tools down on the table. The rock giant gave him an extra controller so he could play the game too. Spidey wasn't really a fan of Fortnite but he joined in anyways to help pass the time. The second he grabbed the controller, the game dropped them into a match and they quickly moved their player characters to cover.

For about ten minutes, they scored numerous kills on the opposing players but both of them got shot down a few times too. Korg cheered whenever Peter killed a player called Noobmaster69. Apparently, there was some sort of rivalry between him and this individual. Jane and Darcy returned just as their session ended and the young Spider got up to help them with their bags.

"Hi, Peter. When did you get here?" Jane asked, handing him a bag full of chicken sandwiches.

"About fifteen minutes ago. I came by to check on Thor."

Darcy removed her jacket and put it on the coat rack. "Well, he hasn't changed much since yesterday or ever really."

Her boss just sighed before she and Peter placed the sandwiches onto two large plates. Darcy grabbed three cups of hot coffee from the bag in her hands and set them down on the counter.

"Alright, time to eat. Just don't make a mess and leave bits of food all over the floor...that means you, Miek." Jane gave him a stern look.

The insectoid gladiator had the decency to look ashamed...somehow. Peter took a few sandwiches for himself before he and Darcy sat down together to eat. Jane went over to Thor and tried to wake him up by shaking his shoulder gently. When that didn't work, she went with plan B...and promptly brought her ex-boyfriend out of the land of dreams by slapping his face.

"W-what's going on?" He slurred out. Jane backed up a little as she covered her nose...his breath reeked of alcohol. "Are we under attack?"

"No. We're waking you up because it's time to eat."

Thor yawned as he stood up. His once muscular physique had deteriorated due to his non-stop drinking and lack of physical activity. Now he had a funny beer belly that seemed to grow rounder everyday. If Volstagg were still here, he'd probably be proud of his old friend. Unfortunately, the portly Asgardian and his family were one of the many victims that got erased from existence four years ago.

"Young Parker? It's so good to see you again, my friend." He said cheerfully, lifting Spidey from his seat to give him a giant bear hug.

Darcy just laughed as she watched her boyfriend squirm. "Thor, you saw me just two days ago."

"I did?"

"Yeah. Jane and I took away your drinks after you had too much again and then you started crying...remember?"

The God of Thunder tried to recall said incident but his head hurt too much for him to think properly. "Not really. I can't remember much of anything that's happened in the last week."

"That's not surprising." Jane muttered. "Now put Peter down and eat your lunch. Afterwards, you're going out for a walk. I'm not going to let you mope around in this house all day."

Thor grumbled but obediently listened to her and wandered off to the kitchen to eat with Miek and Korg. The astrophysicist had been staying in New Asgard for the past three years to help take care of him. Despite her best efforts, not even she was able to snap the King of Asgard out of his depression. Peter sat back down next to Darcy and they resumed eating their chicken sandwiches.

Jane took a seat in the chair across from them. "So how was your day, Peter?"

"Not bad. I just finished helping Bjorn fix his fishing boat."

"That's good. We're still going back to the Compound by the end of this week, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Morgan will be happy to see you again."

Jane smiled at the thought of the adorable girl. "I'll be glad to see her too. I can't believe Morgan's four already."

Darcy laid her head down on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Kids grow fast these days. I mean just look at Amora...the first time we saw her, she was this cute little teenage girl. Now she looks better than most supermodels."

The young Spider couldn't help but agree with that. The kind natured blonde had grown to be an attractive young lady. He was certain Amora would be breaking quite a few hearts once she matured into an adult. Her sister, Lorelei, was no longer a shy child. She had grown to be a lot more confident and playful.

"Are you jealous of Amora?" Jane jokingly asked.

"No. Well...maybe a little. I wished I had looked that good when I was eighteen."

Peter leaned in closer to her ear. "You're always beautiful to me, Darcy."

Her cheeks turned a tinge of pink as she lovingly pressed her lips against Peter's. Jane just watched the young couple with an amused smile on her face...but a twinge of envy also struck her heart. While it wasn't known to anyone, she still held some unresolved feelings for Thor. There were days when she missed the relationship they once shared.

Part of her held a small sense of hope that they would be able to start over again. There were only two problems though...one of which was that she needed Thor to stop wallowing in his self pity. The other was the fact that he and Lady Sif had gotten together before her untimely death. Four years may have passed but the God of Thunder still missed her terribly. Trying to get together with Thor while he was still mourning would've made her look like an opportunistic bitch.

…

"Any luck with finding Hawkeye?"

 _"Not yet. All we've found so far are murdered corpses of drug dealers, sex traffickers, and child molesters in different parts of the world. Hawkeye's last killing spree was in Italy and it happened about three days ago."_

Peter frowned on his end of the line. "...So nothing's changed then. How's Natasha doing?"

Jessica glanced over at the Black Widow, who was reading over some local police reports of the killings in Italy at her desk. _"Working hard as always. Don't worry though, I've made sure your girlfriend rests every now and then so she doesn't overexert herself."_

 _"I heard that."_ Natasha said without looking away from the papers in her hands.

The young Spider chuckled. "Thanks, Jessica. I owe you one."

 _"Just make me some chocolate chip pancakes once you get back and we'll call it even. Your dating life is really interesting though...I still don't know how you manage to get yourself in such a weird relationship."_

"It's a long story."

 _"You'll have to tell me about it sometime because I'm dying to know. See you all back here on Monday."_

"Of course. Take care of yourselves."

 _"You too."_ Jessica said before she hung up.

Peter hung up too and tucked his phone back into his pockets. With the Avengers scattered all over the place these days, he was glad Jessica was there to help out Natasha with her workload. The private detective tried to hide it most of the time but he knew she was giddy about being able to work with the Black Widow in a official capacity.

Spidey rested his arms on the overhang and admired the view of the town below. Many of the Asgardians were out in the streets, spending quality time with their friends or family on this nice quiet evening. It was always cloudy around here but there was no rain tonight luckily.

"Enjoying the night air?"

Hela approached from behind with a couple of drinks in her hands, one of which was fruit juice as she knew the young Spider didn't like the taste of alcohol. The Goddess of Death didn't really change much in the last four years. One notable difference though was the fact that the Asgardians weren't afraid to be around her anymore. She had worked hard to build them a new home alongside Thor and even helped Valkyrie lead them through the first few years of living on Earth. While it didn't erase the atrocities that she committed on Asgard, most of the Asgardians had learned to forgive her and move on.

"Hi, Hela." He said, taking the cup of fruit juice.

Fenris was right behind her and she greeted him with a happy bark. Peter grinned as he reached down to pet the wolf on her head.

"Good to see you too, Fenris. How are you both?"

"We're well, thank you."

The Goddess of Death went to stand beside him on the overhang. Seeing her fellow Asgardians in such good spirits brought a small smile to her face. After everything that they've suffered through in the past few years, her people deserved to be happy. Hela still felt some regret for her past transgressions against them and while they would hardly be blamed for bearing a grudge against her...most found the strength to grant her forgiveness instead.

That couldn't have been an easy decision to make and it was very humbling for her to say the least. The Goddess of Death gazed at Spider-Man with fondness in her eyes...none of this would've been possible if she hadn't taken his words to heart.

Peter was drinking some of his fruit juice when a soft pair of lips suddenly pressed a kiss on his left cheek. "W-whoa, Hela?"

She couldn't help but chuckle at how flustered he looked. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to give you my thanks."

"For what?"

"...You believed I could be more than just a simple-minded warmonger. Had it not been for you, I probably never would've understood the importance of earning my people's respect the right way."

"You alone made the effort to change for the better. All I did was push you in the right direction."

"It was a push that was long overdue for thousands of years...thank you."

Peter smiled before he slid his arm around the Goddess of Death and held her close. Hela leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, savouring the warmth the young Spider provided.

…

 **\- I've played Fortnite a couple of times to see what it was like but I'm not a fan of the game. I prefer Apex Legends or Overwatch when it comes to the Battle Royale genre of video games.**

 **\- It doesn't make much of a difference but I just set the time skip to be four years later. Peter's twenty two now in case anyone was wondering. Till** **next time, folks.**


	50. Chapter 50

**\- A lot of people have been telling me it's not easy to keep up with what's happening in the Marvel comics universe anymore...616 to be precise. I stopped reading the Marvel comics just before the horrible Superior Spider-Man series began. If I tried to get back into the books now, there's going to be a whole lot of catching up for me to do.**

 **\- The last book I read was the Spider-Man/Dardevil mini series during the War of the Realms arc and War of the Realms: Strikeforce. It was really good and I laughed so hard at the funny helmet Peter Parker wore during their quest to Jotunheim. It even granted him the ability to communicate with the Asgardian horses.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **…**

 _Spider-Man was once again in the forest of Wakanda but found himself unable to move. Laying around him were the broken bodies of his fellow Avengers, their dead expressions one of shock and horror. Blood poured out of the Black Widow's mouth as her lifeless eyes stared at him._

 _"Nat!"_

 _Before he could say anything else, her body faded away and was replaced by Maria. She immediately reached out for him with her left hand. Peter was able to extend his right arm towards her but just as their fingers were about to touch...Hill swiftly turned to dust too._

 _"You've fought well, insect..."_

 _Spider-Man turned around and found Thanos standing behind him menacingly. Wanda and May were being held by their necks in both his hands. The two women were trying to break free with everything they had._

 _There was a sickening sneer on the mad Titan's face. "But your efforts were for naught."_

 _And with a single burst of strength, Thanos coldly snapped both of their necks in front of the young Spider. Peter felt his heart drop as their bodies fell to the floor and laid motionless._

 _"No!"_

"...ter!"

"Peter, wake up!"

…

Valkyrie woke up immediately after she heard her boyfriend cry out in his sleep. She carefully shook Peter by his chest to wake him up from the nightmare that was plaguing his mind right now.

"Peter!"

He didn't seem to hear her at all. She tried again with a louder tone of voice. "Peter, wake up!"

Valkyrie was barely able to move her hand back as Spider-Man sat up at an alarming speed. His breathing was heavy and erratic at first but it gradually went back to normal after a minute. Peter wiped away some of the sweat on his head before he looked at her.

"B-Brunnhilde? Sorry if I woke you."

She shook her head, rubbing his back in a soothing circular motion. "It's alright. How do you feel?"

"Restless and a little thirsty."

Brunnhilde grabbed a bottle of water from the small table beside their bed and handed it to him. Peter thanked her before he removed the cap and began to drink.

"Drink it slowly." She gently reminded. "You don't want to choke on the water by accident."

The young Spider drank about half of the water before he gave the bottle back to his girlfriend. She set it aside in case he needed another drink later.

"Was it the same nightmare again?"

"No...but it was similar. Maria got erased again but this time, Thanos killed Wanda and May right in front of me." He muttered, burying his face behind his hands.

Valkyrie hugged Peter from behind and rested her head on his back. He didn't suffer from nightmares very often but whenever they did occur, it was almost always about the end of the battle in Wakanda. Valkyrie deeply regretted not being able to aid them in the fight at the time. She wasn't so arrogant as to believe her participation would've helped to achieve victory but there was a chance she could've at least hurt the mad Titan enough for Thor to deal a proper killing blow.

In hindsight, it was rather strange that her King chose to strike Thanos in the chest rather than the head...where his death would've definitely been assured.

It was too late to change things now but she too missed Wanda and Maria deeply. The Scarlet Witch and Maria Hill were one of the many who perished in that fight...with Wanda dying right in front of Peter. When Valkyrie learned of their deaths for the first time, it almost broke her heart. They had become great friends during their time traveling together through the stars.

"You feeling better?" She asked after a long moment of silence.

"A little bit. Thanks for waking me up in time."

"Of course. I know what it's like to deal with nightmares. I've had quite a few of them myself in the past."

"...About your first lover, right?"

Valkyrie nodded sadly. "The image of her being impaled by Hela's sword haunted me for a long time. I tried to forget it by getting drunk everyday or engaging in pointless flings with some of the women on Sakaar. Of course, none of it helped much...it only dulled the pain for a while."

Spidey placed his hand on top of hers. "What was she like?"

"A confident and powerful woman with a heart of gold...she was a bit like you, actually. It was rare for her to make jokes but when she did, they were genuinely funny."

"Sounds like she was quite the keeper."

Valkyrie smiled as she caressed the side of his face. "That she was...and I'll never forget her. Right now though, being with you is what makes me happy."

She leaned forward and lovingly kissed Peter. His hands held Brunnhilde by her hips as she climbed onto his lap. Her tongue started to wrestle with his, making their kiss grow more heated by the second. Neither of them had much clothing on to begin with. Peter was only wearing his boxers while Valkyrie wore little more than a sports bra and shorts to bed.

She quickly took off her clothes while the young Spider removed his boxers. Brunnhilde licked her lips when she saw Peter's big dick...all hard and ready to plunge into her wet and aroused vagina.

"Let's forego the foreplay tonight..." She whispered, spreading her legs open. "Just fuck me now."

Peter smirked before he slammed his cock deep into Valkyrie's pussy. Drilling into her sex with quick powerful thrusts, his hands cupped both of her breasts and squeezed her dark nipples. Valkyrie's eyes rolled to the back of her head, her body and mind nearly overwhelmed by the abundance of pleasure Peter was making her feel.

"F-fuck! Oh yes, Peter!" She yelled. "Your cock feels so good!"

The young Spider groaned, loving the way she tightened her inner muscles around his dick. "Mnngh, you're so tight!"

He grabbed hold of Brunnhilde's nice firm butt and lifted her off the bed. She hugged Peter by his neck as his cock continued to hammer into her womb. Valkyrie didn't know how much time had passed but she was vaguely aware that they've been fucking for a long while. There was a good chance Hela and Darcy could hear her screams of delight by now. After all, they were both staying in the same house. The Asgardian woman didn't care though...all she wanted right now was for Peter to keep fucking her endlessly.

"Don't stop! I-I'm about to-ahhh!"

Valkyrie wrapped her legs around his waist as her orgasm suddenly struck a few minutes later. Peter came immediately afterwards, firing thick ropes of his hot sperm into the inner depths of her pussy. The two held onto each other breathlessly for a moment before the young Spider laid them back down onto their soft bed.

"You okay?"

Brunnhilde climbed on top of Peter with a tired grin on her face. "Never felt better. Hela and Darcy might be a little annoyed with us tomorrow morning."

He chuckled. "Because of how loud we were? Probably...maybe we should take it down a notch next time."

"Over my dead body. Besides..."

She grabbed hold of Peter's still hard cock and began to jack him off, making him groan out of pleasure.

"We're not even close to being finished yet." Valkyrie coyly whispered before she impaled her pussy down onto his dick. "Hmm...time for round two, Peter."

…

The Goddess of Death opened the door to Brunnhilde's room and peeked inside. A little smile graced her face when she saw her and Peter snoozing comfortably together. They were finally asleep after a long night of making love to each other. The loud noises the two of them made had woken up herself and Darcy by accident. They were able to find some earplugs and go back to bed...eventually.

Darcy was napping on the couch right now to make up for her lack of proper rest last night. The Goddess of Death on the other hand didn't feel very tired and spent some time on preparing breakfast for them all when they woke up later. Jane Foster and Peter had taught her how to cook some simple recipes during her first year of living on Earth. It's been a while since she last cooked but Hela was confident the French toast and eggs she made was at least edible.

She headed back downstairs and sat on the couch, taking care not to wake up Darcy by accident. The pretty human woman mumbled something in her sleep as she hugged her pillow more tightly.

Hela leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Now seemed a good time as any to sort out the thoughts in her head, namely the ones about Peter. Her affections for the webslinger were growing stronger by the day...although the idea of being in love was still somewhat strange to her. During her younger years, her father was always sending her out to the frontlines of battle during their conquest of the nine realms and so there were never any opportunities or time to even consider the idea of romance.

Love wasn't a completely foreign concept to her. She did love her mother and mourned for her greatly when she passed. As for Odin...after he imprisoned her in Hell, any positive feelings that she might've held for the All-Father disappeared entirely. A small part of her still respected him though albeit not by much.

Her old self probably would've laughed at the fact that she was attracted to a mortal from Midgard...but that person no longer existed and she was all the better for it.

Being in love with Peter made her happy...now the only problem was figuring out how and when to tell him. Not only that but she also needed to make certain his other beloved girlfriends would be okay with her in being a part of their relationship. She was most concerned about Brunnhilde in particular. Having worked together to guide their people for the past few years, they no longer considered each other to be mortal enemies. They were now respected acquaintances but there was a bit of uneasy tension that still lingered between them.

Hela very much hoped Brunnhilde wouldn't object to her being with Peter too.

Darcy stirred awake and sat up before she yawned with her arms outstretched. "Hey, Hela. W-what time is it?"

She looked at the clock on the wall. "It's almost ten. I trust you had a good nap?"

"Well enough. How come you're not tired? We both woke up a little too early last night."

"I once fought a battle for two weeks without rest. Losing a few hours of sleep is hardly a problem for me."

Darcy muttered something about her being such a badass and the Goddess of Death laughed softly out of amusement. They had built up sort of an odd friendship in the last four years but she was proud to have her as a friend.

"Are Peter and Valkyrie awake yet?"

"I don't think so." Hela said. "If you're hungry, I've made breakfast while you were all asleep."

Darcy gave her a grateful smile before she headed for the kitchen. On the table was the French toast and scrambled eggs Hela cooked earlier, all neatly placed on two separate plates. Beside the food was a pot of freshly brewed coffee. Darcy quickly poured herself a cup and enjoyed the smooth and slightly bitter flavour of the caffeine as she took a sip.

"Good morning, all."

Valkyrie entered the kitchen with a huge grin on her face. Hela and Darcy noticed the Asgardian woman was walking in a funny way as she made a beeline for the pot of coffee.

"Good morning." The Goddess of Death greeted. "I trust you and Peter had a...wonderful evening?"

Brunnhilde just giggled. "That's one way of putting it, I suppose. He almost had to carry me down the stairs."

That wasn't surprising. Considering how long she and Peter went at it last night, Both of them were a bit amazed to see Brunnhilde walking at all. She and Darcy sat at the table and began to dig into the breakfast Hela made. The Goddess of Death poured a cup of coffee for herself before she joined them. Having already ate her breakfast, she wasn't hungry and was content to just drink her coffee.

"These eggs aren't bad. Who made them?" Valkyrie asked.

Hela raised her hand. "I did. Thank you. I was afraid they might've been lacking in taste."

"You did?"

"Yes...is that a problem?"

"Not at all. I just wasn't expecting it. The last time you cooked was about three months ago, I think."

The Goddess of Death shrugged her shoulders. "I had nothing better to do. Besides, I enjoy cooking."

Spidey entered the kitchen a moment later, looking to be in a great mood. Brunnhilde got up from her seat before she pulled Peter in for an affectionate kiss. Their lips stayed locked for a long minute until the need to breathe eventually forced them to part. He sat down beside Darcy and slid his arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry for waking you up last night."

Darcy gently kissed Peter too. "It's cool. I took a nap earlier so I'm less sleepy now."

The young Spider whispered a promise to make things up to her before his attention shifted over to Hela. The Goddess of Death could feel her heart beating a little faster as those beautiful hazel eyes of his gazed into her own.

"Good morning to you too, Hela. Thanks for making us breakfast."

"You're very welcome, young Parker."

The way she was positively beaming at Peter did not escape Darcy or Valkyrie's notice and they shared a knowing smirk with each other.

…

Spidey whistled a chipper little tune as he patched up a hole on the roof of an Asgardian home. His days in New Asgard were almost always spent like this after the Asgardians had all grown accustomed to living on Earth. Repairing vehicles or fixing appliances was what he usually helped out with but sometimes he would do maintenance work on some of the houses too.

Fortunately, the hole in this house wasn't too difficult to fix. The young Spider set the replacement shingle in place firmly before he gathered his tools and leapt off the roof. He landed gracefully on the grass...and nearly scared the hell out of Hilde, who just walked outside of her house.

"By the All-Fathers!" She gasped, putting a hand near her heart.

"Sorry! You okay?"

Hilde smiled as she let out a shaky breath. "I'm fine. You just startled me for a second."

"Heh...well, the hole in your roof is fixed. You won't have to worry about leaking ceilings for a long time."

"Thank you so much. That hole has been bugging us for the couple of days."

Peter hefted his tool bag over his shoulder. "It was no trouble. Is there anything you need help with?"

"No, you've done more than enough." Hilde said. "Why don't you come inside and relax for a moment? My daughters have been wanting to see you again."

The young Spider nodded with a smile before he followed her inside. He hadn't visited Amora or Lorelei yet this week and now seemed like a good time to do so. Peter removed his jacket and set it down on the comfy looking couch.

The mother of two went to the kitchen to make a drink for Spider-Man. "My daughters are upstairs in their rooms. Feel free to go say hi."

Peter climbed up the stairs and gently knocked on the first door to the left. There was no response at first, prompting him to knock on the door again with a bit more force.

"Come in, mother!" The unmistakeable young voice of Lorelei yelled from inside.

Spidey opened the door and spotted the redheaded girl on her bed, reading an Asgardian book. "I'm not Hilde...I hope that doesn't mean I'm not welcome."

"Peter!" Lorelei leapt off her bed and rushed forward to give him a hug. "When did you get here?"

"I was fixing the hole on your roof earlier and your mother invited me inside. How are you?"

"I'm fine. So is my sister."

"That's good. What were you reading there?"

Lorelei snapped her fingers and the book levitated towards her hand. "Just a book on Asgardian spells. Amora and I always study and practice our magic around this time."

Peter just smiled as he took a better look at her. Lorelei was much taller now and her red hair had grown past her shoulders. Though she was still young, her looks almost rivaled that of her sister's. The pair of them would grow up to be quite the attractive women once they were adults. A chuckle escaped his lips as he imagined all the men and perhaps even women who'd make a fool of themselves just trying to gain their attention.

"What's so funny?" She asked, looking up at him with curious eyes.

He ruffled her hair. "Ah, nothing. I'm just amazed by how much you've grown."

"R-really?"

"Absolutely. It won't be long before you turn into a smart and beautiful young lady."

Lorelei's face blushed almost as red as her hair. "T-thank you. Would you like to see my sister?"

"Of course. I came here to visit you both."

The redhead girl led the way out of her room and they stopped just outside of the other door. She knew Amora didn't like to be disturbed while she was practicing her magic and so her fist rapped against the door gently.

"Who is it?" Her older sister asked.

"It's Lorelei. May I come in?"

"...Fine."

Lorelei waved for Peter to follow before they opened the door. Amora was sitting in the middle of the room with her back to them, looking at presumably a spell book as emerald Asgardian runes glowed in front of her hands.

"What is it?" She asked, not looking to her sister yet.

"There's someone here who'd like to see you."

The Asgardian runes dissipated into the air and Amora turned around. Her eyes widened upon seeing Peter, who waved at her with a friendly smile on his face. Amora smiled back as she walked over and embraced him.

"I'm glad to see you again, Peter." She said warmly.

Spidey patted her on the back. "Likewise, Amora. Sorry if we disturbed you."

"It's alright. I've already mastered most of the spells in that book."

"Really?" Her young sister looked surprised. "I haven't even gotten through half of the book yet."

"Maybe Amora has more of a natural talent for magic." Peter suggested before he gave Lorelei an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, that doesn't mean you're bad at it. Your sister just learns a little faster is all."

"I can come help you later if you'd like." Amora offered.

Never one to say no to hanging out with her older sister, Lorelei happily nodded. "Sure! Thank you."

Hilde's voice suddenly called out from downstairs. "Peter? Lady Foster is here."

The young Spider perked up, wondering why Jane would be here. He headed back downstairs with the two sisters and saw the famous astrophysicist waiting for them on the couch.

"Hey, girls. How are you both?"

Both sisters went up to Jane and gave her a hug. Peter moved to help Hilde carry a tray filled with cups of iced tea for everyone to partake in. He took a glass and sipped away at the drink to help wash away some dust that got caught in his throat while he was fixing the roof earlier.

"We're fine, Lady Foster." Amora said with a friendly smile.

Jane playfully rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to say it? Just call me Jane. Anyways, could you two let me speak to Peter in private for a minute? It won't take long."

The two sisters gave her a curious look before they nodded and went to the kitchen to help their mother prepare some snacks for their guests. Spidey followed Jane to the other side of the living room.

"So what's up?" He asked.

"I just wanted to get your advice on something."

"...Does it have to do with Thor?"

Jan slowly nodded. "...I've been thinking about getting back together with him again."

Peter's eyes widened a bit. "Really? That's good. What's the problem?"

"He's still mourning for Sif. I hear Thor sometimes cry out for her in his sleep."

"Oh."

Though not to the same degree as the God of Thunder, Spider-Man too missed Lady Sif a lot. He could see what the problem for Jane was. If she tried to date Thor again now, it would seem like she was taking advantage of his emotional state of weakness.

"Yeah...it's why I haven't made a move yet." Jane muttered, looking out the window. "I knew he needed the time to heal but it's been four years. I don't know what to do at this point."

Peter thought for a moment. He admittedly didn't believe himself to be the guy that Jane should go to for relationship advice... especially considering the unusual nature of his own dating life. "Everyone mourns at their own pace...but I think you should just talk to Thor. Well, at least when he's sober. Tell him how you feel and then see how he reacts."

"Do you think that will work?"

"I don't know but it'll be a lot better than keeping your feelings bottled inside. At the very least, you'll know for certain on whether or not to resume your romance with Thor again."

She was silent for a moment. "...I'll think about it."

The young Spider gave her a gentle smile. "Okay. Just remember...I'm here if you need me."

Jane smiled back before she wrapped her arms around Peter for a friendly hug. Looking over his shoulder, she noticed Amora was staring at Peter with a bit of longing in her eyes. Amora quickly realized she'd been caught staring and went back to help her mother in a haste. An amused chuckle escaped Jane's lips...it seemed like the young Asgardian girl possessed a small puppy crush for her web slinging friend.

…

 **\- I'm making this clear now. Amora is not going to be Peter's girlfriend in this. They might get together if I decide to write a small sequel but until then, her feelings for him will remain an innocent little crush.**

 **\- Yeah, I know. The way I write lemons is terrible. Nevetheless, I hope you all liked it.**


	51. Chapter 51

**\- Only about three more months until the Black Widow movie is released and I'm really looking forward to it. The next MCU film after that is the Eternals...I'm not sure if I should see that one when it comes out in November.**

 **Anyways, take your time reading and enjoy.**

 **…**

"Be careful on your way home."

Spider-Man nodded. "Don't worry, I'll return next Sunday."

Brunnhilde smiled before she grabbed Peter by the chin and kissed him hard. "You better...or else I'll head to New York myself and drag your amazing tight ass back here."

He and the others were heading back to the Avengers Compound today. The quinjet was already prepped for departure. They were now just saying their goodbyes to their Asgardian friends and loved ones. Valkyrie went to go speak with Jane and Darcy while Spidey turned to Lorelei and Amora. Though their human friends came back every other week, the two sisters were always a little saddened to see them leave...Peter especially.

"You two take care of each other. Help your mother around the house when she needs it, okay?"

Lorelei quickly embraced Peter. "We will. Please come back soon."

"I'll be here again next week. I promise." He whispered.

Once her younger sister pulled back, Amora wrapped her arms around Peter for a hug too. "New Asgard is your home too, don't forget that."

Spider-Man nodded with a smile before something touched his leg. He looked to the ground and saw Fenris nudging her nose against his right leg with a sad look on her face. Hela stepped forward and patted her wolf on the head.

"She'll miss you."

He scratched the Asgardian Wolf behind the ears. "I'll miss you too, girl...I'm guessing Thor's passed out drunk again. That's why he isn't here."

"You're unfortunately right." The Goddess of Death said with a sigh. "I'll scold my brother when I visit his house later."

"Yikes. Just go easy on Thor."

"I shall try."

Spidey felt a little sorry for the God of Thunder...being reprimanded while hung over was not going to be fun. It would probably take nothing less than a firm hand to snap him out of his depression though.

"Safe journeys." Hela said, pressing her lips against Peter's cheek.

Peter embraced the Goddess of Death and kissed her on the forehead, surprising her for a moment. He wasn't so blind as to not notice how differently Hela treated him from the rest of her friends. He suspected something for a while but it was Darcy and Valkyrie who confirmed Hela's feelings. In turn, Peter really liked her too and he was more than happy to develop their friendship into something more.

He reached for both of her hands and gently held on. "I love being with you too, Hela. If you really want this...then so do I."

Her surprised expression changed into one of pure childlike joy as she smiled lovingly and nodded. It was perhaps the happiest Peter's ever seen Hela to be...and she'd never looked more beautiful.

…

 _Back in upstate New York..._

Natasha sighed out of frustration as she read over a news article about a recent mass killing of criminals. This time, it happened in Hong Kong. Several high profile rapists and drug dealers disguised as legitimate business owners were found dead in the streets of the city. Some were shot in the head while the rest had their throats slit.

The Black Widow knew right away it was Barton's handiwork. She wasn't exactly saddened by the deaths of these criminals and it was doubtful the rest of the world would mourn them either. These people were better off dead. Natasha couldn't figure out what her old friend was trying to accomplish though. It didn't seem like Clint had a specific goal but the only way to know for certain was to find him...and that was impossible for the moment.

As a highly trained spy/assassin, Hawkeye knew how to maintain a low profile and cover his tracks well. Neither she or Jessica have made much progress in locating him. At the very least, they knew he was alive...though Natasha very much wished the same could be said for Laura and their kids.

She turned the holographic screen off and rubbed her tired eyes. It was time for her to take a break...her ass had been sitting in this chair for almost three hours. As Natasha stood up, a pair of muscular arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind.

"Still hard at work, I see."

Her lips curved into a warm smile as she relaxed herself in Peter's arms. "Welcome home, _моя любовь_. How was New Asgard?"

"It was great." He murmured. "Valkyrie and Hela send their regards."

Natasha turned around and held him close by the waist. "That's kind of them. Is Thor any better?"

"He's still the same, unfortunately. Jane did manage to get him to drink a little less this week."

"Well, a little progress is better than none. Where are Jane and Darcy anyways?"

"They were feeling a big jet-lagged so both of them went to go take a nap...and it looks like you need one too."

The skin beneath her green eyes were a little dark...she hadn't been sleeping much in the last couple of days.

"A nap sounds nice. I was just about to take a break anyways."

Peter leaned in to give her a quick kiss. "My room or yours?"

"Yours." She whispered against his lips. "Your bed is a lot more comfortable than mine."

The two Spiders held each other's hands as they headed for his quarters. Natasha gently kicked the door closed once they got inside and locked it. Spidey removed most of his clothes except for his boxers and fell backwards onto his bed. The coolness of the soft fabric felt so comfortable. He turned to look at the Black Widow...who was stripping down to her underwear. Peter's eyes stayed glued to Natasha as he admired all of her features, from her smooth pale skin to the gorgeous curves of her body.

"Enjoying the show, Peter?" She teasingly asked, having noticed his unblinking gaze.

His cheeks blushed a twinge of red. "I'd be lying if I said no. Sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

'It's fine. You're the only man I want looking at me anyways."

Natasha slipped beneath the large blanket and snuggled into Peter's side. His fingers ran through her soft hair. The colour was her natural red once again but the ends of her locks were still dyed blonde.

"Where did Jessica go? I didn't see her when we got back."

"Jessica went to the memorial in Central Park." She said, placing her hand on his chest. "She'll be back in time for dinner."

Knowing her, the private detective probably also took an unopened bottle of whiskey too so she could give a toast to her fallen friends. He had gone with her before to pay his respects to the other Defenders and they always shared a drink in their honour.

Spidey moved to lay down on his side and looked into her eyes. "Any luck finding Hawkeye yet?"

A weary sigh escaped her lips. "No. Clint killed some criminals in Hong Kong recently but he quickly disappeared again."

"...You know you're not obligated to find him, right?"

He didn't say that because of any disdain for the archer on his part. The man may have always treated him like a pesky annoyance in the past but Spidey didn't harbor any dislike for Hawkeye. He just thought it would be wise to bring up all her options on what to do with Mr. Barton...especially the ones that were the most uncomfortable to consider.

"That's true but Hawkeye's my oldest friend. He's the one who gave me a chance to be more than just a murderous tool of my government. It's only right that I return the favor...and find Clint before he loses himself completely."

Peter caressed the left cheek of her face. "I understand. If there's any way that I can help, let me know."

"I will. Thank you, Peter." Natasha said before she tilted her head up and kissed him.

Their lips stayed locked together for a long minute. When they finally parted, she laid her head down on his chest. Spidey glanced at the clock on the wall...there was still a few hours until dinner. Plenty of time for them to take a long nap.

"...Carol called earlier. She said she was coming back later this week."

"Really? That's great."

It's been almost a month since they've last seen the intergalactic heroine. Even with Nebula and Rocket helping her out in space, there was still a lot of ground Captain Marvel had to cover on her own. Thankfully, the crime rate on Earth has significantly lessened due to the Decimation and Carol was able to take the time to rest before she had to resume her heroic duties again.

The Black Widow smiled. "It'll be good to see her again. She works harder than most of us."

"Yeah...Jane and I are planning to go visit Mr. Stark tomorrow. Would you like to come too?" He asked.

"Sure. It'll be nice to get out of the Compound for a while. You know, I never thought Tony would want to live outside the city."

"Neither did I." Peter said. "But I'm guessing it was for Morgan's sake. He and Pepper wanted to be able to raise her without having to worry about the press or media hounding them."

The Black Widow nodded in agreement. "That's probably why Tony retired from being Ironman as well. The less attention he can attract, the better chance they have of living a normal life...or at least as close as they can get."

"I still laugh sometimes whenever I see Mr. Stark washing dishes or cooking. Him being domestic just seems so weird."

"I half expected him to invent something that can handle all of the cleaning and cooking in their cabin."

"What? Like a robot butler or something?"

"Exactly."

The two Spiders laughed softly at the idea. It was funny because the genius inventor would probably build something like that...if not for Pepper's strong objections. She didn't want to risk Morgan growing up to be a spoiled individual. Pepper was determined to teach her daughter the value of hard work and the best way to start that was to assign her some household chores when she was a little older.

Natasha let out a yawn before she closed her eyes. "We should bring Morgan something."

"A teddy bear seems good." Peter muttered, pecking a light kiss on her forehead. "We'll think about it later. Let's just get some rest first."

…

 _The next day..._

Spidey watched the forest scenery go by as the Black Widow drove them to Mr. Stark's cabin. Jane was in the backseat, holding their present for Morgan in her arms...which was a huge Spider-Man plush. Darcy was the one who came up with the idea for it. She remembered that Morgan's favourite superhero was the webslinger himself and so instead of a teddy bear, they should get her a Spider-Man stuffed doll.

Everyone thought it was a good idea, although Peter was understandably a little embarrassed about it. Darcy was still feeling a little jet-lagged so she stayed behind at the Compound to hang out with Jessica.

"Jane? " Natasha called out. "Wake up. We're here."

She stirred awake from her nap. Jane had fallen asleep during the long drive here and used the plush as a comfy pillow. Peter got out of the car and took a look at the surrounding area. Mr. Stark and Pepper had certainly picked a beautiful place to live in. Their home was located far enough away from the city so they could live in peace and quiet. There was a gorgeous lake just in front of their cabin that seemed perfect for swimming in warmer weather.

Pepper exited the cabin while carrying her four year old daughter. "Hello, everyone."

"Auntie Nat!" Morgan excitedly reached out for the Black Widow.

Natasha laughed as she took the four year old girl into her arms. "My goodness, you've grown so much! What's your Mommy been feeding you?"

"A lot of veggies. They don't taste very good but Mommy says eating them will help me grow big and strong."

"And she's right. Keep eating your vegetables and it won't be long till you're taller than me."

Jane handed the Spidey plushie to Peter before she walked up to them. There was a stray piece of hair on Morgan's face and she quickly moved it away from her eyes.

"Hello, sweetheart. Do you remember me?"

Morgan nodded happily. "Of course I do, Aunt Jane!"

While Natasha and Jane played around with Morgan, the mother of the four year old girl approached Peter and gave him a warm hug. The two of them had grown more closer over the years. She wasn't trying to take the place of his aunt May but Pepper sometimes couldn't help but think of him as the son she and Tony always wanted. Peter was an excellent older brother figure to Morgan and her daughter pretty much idolized him.

"It's nice to see you again." Pepper said before she glanced at the Spider-Man plushie. "...I presume that's a present for Morgan?"

Peter's lips curved into a sheepish smirk. "Yeah. We thought it'd be nice to bring Morgan something since we haven't visited for a while."

"She'll love it. After all, you are her favourite superhero...a fact that bugs Tony to no end."

"Heh, I know. Where is Mr. Stark anyways?"

Pepper looked back to the cabin. "Tony's inside, making some chicken fettucine alfredo for everyone for lunch."

"So Mr. Stark is cooking...never thought I'd ever see the day."

"Neither did I. Before I married him, Tony only ate take-out food or at exquisite restaurants. The only appliance he ever used in his massive kitchen was the microwave."

Her daughter suddenly came running over and gave Spidey a big hug around his waist. "Hi, Peter!"

"What's up, Morgan?" He said, picking her up. "Wow! Natasha was right. You have grown a lot."

The four year old giggled. "Where have you been? I've missed you."

"I'm sorry. We've been a little busy with work lately. We have a present for you though."

"Really? What is it?"

Peter pulled out the Spider-Man plush from behind his back in a dramatic fashion before he put it into Morgan's hands. "Ta-dah! I know Spider-Man's your favourite superhero so we got your very own Spidey doll!"

Her eyes lit up in joy as she hugged the Spider-Man plushie. Jane cooed at how adorable Morgan looked cuddling with the Spider-Man doll and discretely took a photo with her phone. Natasha noticed and made a mental note to ask her for a copy later.

Morgan pecked a cute little kiss on his face. "Thank you, Peter! I love it!"

"You're very welcome, Morgan."

"Thank you all for the kind gift." Pepper said before she gathered Morgan back into her arms and nodded for them to follow her. "Tony should have lunch cooked and ready by now. Come inside."

The three of them followed her and removed their shoes before they entered the cabin. Their home may appear to be a little small from the outside but the inside was actually quite spacious. There was a distinct scent of boiled fettuccine noodles and pan-fried chicken coming from the kitchen.

"Well, it smells good so far. Let's just hope it's actually edible." Natasha muttered. Peter just quietly laughed.

"I heard that. Let me just tell you that this will be the greatest chicken fettuccine alfredo that you've ever tasted, Romanoff." Tony said, setting down two plates filled with the dish in front of the two Spiders. "Bon Appetit."

While he went to serve up a third plate for Jane, Spidey and the Black Widow began to eat. Natasha was a little surprised by how good it tasted...it seemed like Tony's cooking did improve after all. The last time he tried to make something was a simple breakfast consisting of eggs and bacon. His attempt ended up in a grease fire that nearly torched their kitchen.

She had never seen Pepper so angry before and Tony was rightfully scared for his life that day.

"Well?" The billionaire asked with a smug look in his eyes.

"Not bad, I guess." Natasha admitted before she smirked. "I better not get food poisoning later though."

Tony rolled his eyes before he looked to the others. His beautiful daughter was enjoying her food well enough. They had barely begun eating though and already there were alfredo sauce smears on Morgan's face. Pepper grabbed a clean napkin and began to wipe the sauce off their daughter's face, which wasn't easy as Morgan tried to squirm away.

"You're the best chef here, underoos. What do you think?"

Peter swallowed the bit of food in his throat before he gave his verdict. "It's good. The sauce is a little too thick and the noodles taste a bit undercooked but everything else is okay."

"Hear that? Guess you won't have to worry about food poisoning after all."

Natasha just shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever you say. I still prefer Peter's cooking to yours."

"So do I." Pepper admitted, giving her husband a small apologetic look. "Sorry, sweetheart but Peter is a much better chef than you are."

Tony clutched at his heart dramatically. "Oh, such betrayal from my own wife...but I agree. I got a lot of catching up to do if I hope to ever get to his level."

"It just takes practice. The more you cook, the more you'll improve." Spidey encouraged.

"I'll keep that in mind. So how was New Asgard?"

"It was good. The Asgardians are doing well. A lot of them have taken to fishing as a profession."

Pepper nodded thoughtfully. "From professional soldiers to simple fishermen...that's not a bad career change. What about Thor? How's he?"

At this, Jane and Peter looked at each other with a slight frown on their faces. The astrophysicist quickly swallowed the piece of chicken in her mouth and washed it down with a sip of water.

"Thor's doing a little better." She said. "I managed to get him to drink less this week...but he's still not over what happened."

Tony and Pepper were saddened to hear this. They too wished to help their friend but if even Jane wasn't able to get him to snap out of it, there wasn't much assistance either of them could really offer. Natasha had a feeling the only way to help Thor was to make him face the reality of what happened and force him to accept it so he could move on with his life.

Morgan tugged at her mother's sleeve. "What's wrong, mommy?"

"Nothing, sweetie. We're just talking about an old friend." Pepper said, picking up her daughter. "Let's get you changed. You've got alfredo sauce all over your clothes."

Tony ruffled Morgan's hair before the two of them went upstairs. His eyes turned to the fireplace briefly and noticed the space where they stored firewood was almost empty.

"I got to go chop up some more firewood. Be back in a minute." He said, leaving the table. "Feel free to make yourselves at home."

Peter leaned in and quickly kissed Natasha. "I'm going to help him."

"Be careful. Don't cut yourself by accident."

The young Spider nodded and got up from his seat to follow Tony...who had a proud grin on his face for some reason. The billionaire just kept grinning at his intern as they exited the cabin.

…

Because they couldn't find the extra axe, Peter had to resort to splitting the firewood in half with his bare hands. Apparently, Captain America did it once during the whole mess with Ultron a few years back. It wasn't difficult due to his super strength but he still wore gloves to avoid getting any splinters. Tony used the axe to help him chop up the firewood...or at least he was supposed to.

"You're starting to creep me out, Mr. Stark."

The billionaire hadn't stopped grinning at him since they came outside. "What? I'm just really proud of you, kid."

"What do you mean?"

"You and the Black Widow together...I never thought it would actually happen when I first asked you to join the Avengers. Don't think I've forgotten the fact that you're also with the Queen of Asgard and Ms. Lewis either. You lucky dog."

Peter grabbed a log and pulled it in half. "Um, yeah. I don't know why you're so surprised. I told you about this three years ago."

"True but you having three girlfriends all at once? I knew you learned something from my playboy days."

"They mean more to me than just one-time flings, Mr. Stark...and there used to be more than just three."

Tony's heart fell as he understood what his intern was talking about. Before the Decimation, Peter was also involved with the Scarlet Witch and Maria Hill romantically. Both were amongst the many victims that got erased from existence and he knew the young Spider still mourned for them.

"I know...I'm sorry, Peter." He said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Spidey just nodded with a sad smile before he tore another log into two pieces with his bare hands. He may have made peace with what happened but it wasn't something he liked to think about too often. Even now, the image of Wanda dying before him still haunted his dreams.

…

 **\- The young actress who plays Morgan is such an adorable child. It would've been nice to see her and Peter interact a little bit.**

 **\- I'm pressed for time again due to work so updates will be a little less frequent than before. Nevertheless, I hope you all liked it.**


	52. Chapter 52

**\- It has nothing to do with this but for those who are a big fan of Red Dead Redemption 2, there's a wonderful story titled _May the Sunrise bring Hope where it was once forgotten_ written by deathmallow that's a fantastic read. Just search up the writer or story on . **

**\- I've read that story over and over again and it never gets old to me. There's no way I could ever match that high quality level of writing.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy.**

 **…**

 _Later in the week..._

Captain Marvel slowed her flight speed once she saw the Avengers Compound and descended down to the roof. After weeks of flying through space to get to Earth, it felt nice to be able to walk on solid ground once again. A lot of planets were left in turmoil after the Decimation. Saving the lives on all these different worlds had kept her and the two surviving Guardians of the Galaxy extremely busy for the past few years. Nebula and Rocket stubbornly insisted for her to take some time off and she agreed albeit with much reluctance. As powerful as she was, even Carol knew when to stop so her body and mind could properly rest.

Friday greeted her once she entered the elevator. _""Hello, Ms. Danvers. It is good to see you again."_

"Thanks, FRIDAY. Are the others inside?"

 _"Peter, Ms. Lewis, and Ms. Foster are the only ones in the building. Ms. Romanov and Ms. Jones have left to investigate a murder scene in London."_

"What about Captain America or what was his name again? Uh, Bucky...I think?"

 _"Captain Rogers and Mr. Barnes are in the city, running their weekly group therapy sessions."_

"I see." Carol said before she noticed something funny. "Hey, how come you refer to the rest of us as miss or mister but you never call Peter Mr. Parker?"

 _"Peter asked me to use his first name a long time ago as he doesn't feel old enough to be called Mr. Parker yet."_ Friday explained.

"Makes sense...I guess. Well, it's fine if you want to call me Carol."

 _"I will remember that. Shall I notify the others that you're here?"_

Captain Marvel shook her head. "Nah, I'll just surprise them. Thanks anyways."

 _"Of course. Have a nice day...Carol."_ Friday said before she stopped the elevator on the third floor and opened the doors.

Carol just smirked at the ceiling as she walked down the hall. For an artificial intelligence, Friday had a pretty good sense of humor. She entered the lounge area and found Peter...reading some papers while he hanged upside down from the ceiling with his webbing.

"Ahem!"

The young Spider spun around and widened his eyes upon seeing her. "Carol!"

"Hey, Peter Parker." She greeted with a friendly smile. "Did you miss me?"

Peter let go of the webbing and gracefully landed on the floor. Wrapping his arms around Carol for a warm embrace, the former Air Force pilot happily hugged him back.

"Welcome home. When did you arrive?"

"Just now. What were you reading?"

He looked at the papers in his right hand. "Oh, just Jane's latest research notes. Go ahead and take a seat. I'll bring you something to drink."

Carol removed her coat before she sat down on the comfy couch and relaxed. Peter went to the kitchen and grabbed a cold bottle of root beer as well as a bag of chips for her to snack on.

"I figured you were probably a little hungry too." He said, handing her the root beer and bag of chips.

She took the refreshments with a grateful nod. "Thanks, Peter."

"How was space?"

"Busy as always. Thanks to that purple asshole, a lot of different planets were left in chaos. It hasn't been easy for the Guardians and I to keep the peace."

Spidey grew a little concerned. "Do you guys need help?"

"I'm not sure." She said, eating a handful of chips. "Things are okay for now but just barely. If I do need some extra help, I'll let you know."

"Understood."

"What about you? How are things here?"

"Okay. I still patrol the streets every night but there hasn't been a lot of bad guys to stop." Peter mumbled.

Carol gave him a funny look. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yeah but it just feels odd. I'm used to stopping at least a dozen crimes a night but in the last two months, I've only had to catch a carjacker and mugger for the police."

"Maybe the Decimation erased the majority of the criminals on Earth."

Spidey snorted out of amusement. "Wouldn't that be nice? Are there no bad guys to stop in space?"

"Not often. There is the occasional space pirate that tries to make trouble but I just blow up their ships before they can even do anything."

"You get to fight space pirates...that is so cool."

Carol laughed as she raised a glowing fist. "Well, shooting down enemy vessels is a lot of fun."

Peter just chuckled along. "I bet. So what are your plans for the next few days?"

"I'm going to get some rest first. It's been weeks since I've slept in a actual bed. After that, I'm not really sure."

"...We could finish watching the Star Wars prequels if you want." He suggested. They were only able to watch the first film together before the call to fight Thanos one last time came.

She nodded thoughtfully at the idea. "That sounds good. I've been dying to know how the rest of the films play out anyways. Just don't forget to bring the snacks."

"Of course. I'll have a junk food buffet set up for the both of us."

…

Captain Marvel spent the next two days sleeping in her room. Carol hadn't realized how tired she actually was until her body laid down on the soft bed. Peter had to come wake her up whenever it was time to eat so she wouldn't miss a meal. The others were happy to see her again and welcomed her back with open arms. Carol had offered to assist with any problems the Avengers may be dealing with but Natasha assured her that everything was already being taken care of.

"Just go ahead and relax." She had said with a warm smile. "I'm not going to make you work during your time off."

She heeded her advice and took it easy for the next couple of days. Most of the time, she just hung out with Peter or Darcy. They watched the second episode of the Star Wars movies last night. Carol wasn't sure why most people believed the prequels to be terrible. Granted the romance between Anakin and Padme was a little cheesy but other than that, she thought the first two films were okay. The actor that played the young Obi-Wan/future Ben Kenobi suited the role well.

Carol was looking for Peter now so they could watch **_Revenge of the Sith_** together like they planned. Darcy wasn't able to join them tonight as Jane required her assistance with their ongoing research. She had checked his quarters and the lab but he wasn't in either of those rooms. Captain Marvel entered the workout area in the hopes of finding the young Spider but alas there was no sign of him here either.

"Damn it..." She muttered. "Where is he?"

 _"Is something wrong, Carol?"_ FRIDAY asked.

Captain Marvel almost jumped at the sudden smooth Irish voice that came out of nowhere but she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Sometimes she forgot there was an A.I. installed in the Compound. "You almost scared me there, FRIDAY."

 _"My apologies. May I ask what troubles you? Perhaps I could provide some assistance."_

"Everything's okay. I'm just trying to find Peter...he and I were suppose to watch a movie together right now."

FRIDAY took a second to scan the building. _"I have located Peter. He is currently sitting on the rooftop of the building."_

Carol blinked twice before she shook her head out of amusement. "...I probably should've just asked for your help earlier, huh?"

 _"That would've made your search easier, yes. I'd advise you approach Peter in silence though."_

"What? Why?"

 _"...He appears to be in a contemplative state of mind."_ The A.I. said.

That piqued Carol's interest and it also raised some concern too as she got into the elevator. FRIDAY directed the elevator up and didn't stop until it reached the rooftop. Captain Marvel took her advice and quietly approached Spider-Man...who was looking at the night sky while sitting near the edge of the roof.

"Peter?" She called out.

Spidey snapped out of his thoughts and turned around to look at her. "Hey, Carol. What's going on?"

"I've been looking for you all over the place. We were going to watch the third Star Wars film of the prequels, remember?"

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. Our snacks are already prepared in the kitchen."

Carol nodded and looked around for a moment. "Good...what are you doing up here anyways?"

"Just admiring the night sky." Peter said, turning his attention back to the stars. "I've been working on my suit for most of the day and I just wanted to get some fresh air."

"I see." Captain Marvel smiled before she sat down beside him. "...The stars are pretty, aren't they?"

"That they are. I always liked to stargaze even as a kid."

"Me too. Sometimes I'd just lay down on the front lawn of our house and dream about flying through the stars as I looked up at the night sky."

The young Spider gave her a curious look. "Is that why you joined the Air Force?"

She nodded. "Being a pilot was always a dream of mine and Maria's. Most of the Air Force recruits were men back then though and they didn't like the idea of a woman being a pilot at all. It was why we weren't allowed to fly into combat."

"...Are you serious?"

"Times were different back then. A lot of people thought men were just better than women."

It wasn't as accepted now but he was aware that there were still a lot of folks who actually believed in such an outdated idea. Having been practically raised by a strong woman for most of his life, Peter couldn't understand why anyone would think that...nor did he want to.

"That's really stupid." The young Spider said bluntly.

Carol smirked. "Yeah, it is. The best part was my asshole parents actually believed that ridiculous idea too."

"No wonder why you don't want to try and find them. So...do you miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Do you miss being an Air Force pilot?" He clarified.

Captain Marvel thought about it for a moment. "Sometimes...but there's no way to go back and change what's happened. I love being a superheroine and I don't regret what I've been doing for the past twenty seven years."

Peter smiled at her words before he decided to inquire about a silly matter that'd been on his mind for a while. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"...How old are you exactly?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You know it's rude to ask a woman about her age, right?"

Spidey grew a little flustered. "S-sorry. I meant no offense."

Carol kept glaring at Peter for a moment before she suddenly began to laugh. "I'm just messing with you. There's two answers to your question. Biologically speaking, I'm only thirty years old. I was born in 1965 though so timewise, I'd probably be sixty now."

"Sixty?"

"Yeah. Not sure how it works but ever since I got my powers, I've pretty much stopped aging."

Spidey didn't know how that worked either but it did explain why Carol still looked so young. He wondered if Wanda had also been gifted with an extended longevity when she got her powers. It was possible...after all, her abilities came from an Infinity Stone too albeit a different one.

"I'm guessing birthdays must be very confusing for you then."

She chuckled. "Oh man, you have no idea. It's tough to keep track of my age sometimes. When I think about all of the years that have passed since I left Earth...it makes me feel like an old woman."

Peter clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe...but you aren't. I think you're an incredible superheroine who's still in the prime of her life."

Carol could feel her cheeks growing a little hot. The way Peter praised her just now...his words may have been simple but they were honest and genuine. It was much better than the empty platitudes she used to hear.

"Thank you, Peter." She said with a warm smile.

"Of course." The young Spider smiled back before he stood up. "I think that's enough stargazing for one night. Ready to go back and watch the movie?"

Captain Marvel nodded and followed him back into the elevator. FRIDAY did them the courtesy of getting them to their floor without any delays.

…

 ** _"It's over, Anakin! I have the high ground!"_**

 ** _"You underestimate my power!"_**

Peter couldn't help but roll his eyes as the young Vader foolishly leapt up to attack his old mentor. He liked the Star Wars prequels but there were a few lines in the films that just sounded awkward. Anakin's bragging about his power was one of them. Carol didn't seem to notice though as she was completely into the movie and gasped when they watched Obi-Wan cut down all of Vader's biological limbs.

"Damn..." Captain Marvel muttered, seeing the former Jedi collapse near the river of lava before he was set on fire.

Spidey grimly nodded. "Yeah, it's not pretty."

Goose let out a soft meow as if to agree. The young Spider reached up and scratched the Flerken behind the ears, making her purr. She must have felt pretty lucky because two of her favourite resting places were in the same room together. Goose lazed about on Carol's lap for most of the movie before she climbed on top of Peter's head just as Obi-Wan and Anakin began their epic duel against each other.

Carol smirked at Goose as she gently lifted her off of his head. "I think we're spoiling her. She doesn't usually nap this much."

"What does she usually do?"

"Chase down alien rats and pests whenever we're on another world. Sometimes Goose helps me fight off the enemy in battle."

Peter raised an eyebrow. The Flerken may have claws but it didn't seem like they could do a lot of damage...unless she attacked the eyes or other vulnerable areas. "She does? How?"

"...She swallows them whole." Captain Marvel explained, remembering the way her pet tends to eat random stuff. "I still don't know how Goose is able to digest things so fast though."

Spidey looked down at Goose, who simply meowed at him. It was hard to imagine such a small creature like her just eating things ten times bigger than her. He took Carol's word for it though...and made a mental note to never go near the Flerken when she was hungry. They turned their attention back to the movie, where it was showing Vader coming to oversee the construction of the first Death Star alongside Palpatine. It then transitioned into the scene where Obi-Wan delivers an infant Luke Skywalker to Beru on Tatooine.

Once the credits started to roll in, Peter stood up from the couch and stretched his back. "So what'd you think of the movie?"

Carol smiled. "The film was good. I liked it...especially the lightsaber duels. The lightsaber battles in the original trilogy weren't bad but I think I prefer the ones in Episode I to III."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. We'll watch the new trilogy another day...right now though, we should probably clean up this little mess."

Snack bowls that had once been filled with butter flavoured popcorn and empty bags of chips were scattered all over the table. There were a few candy wrappers on the floor too. Spidey and Captain Marvel got to work in tidying the place up. While she went to go place the bowls into the dishwasher, he gathered the empty wrappers and snack bags and threw them into the garbage can. Goose just watched them work from the couch with sleepy eyes.

"I'll wash these tomorrow." Carol said, closing the dishwasher. "C'mon, you lazy cat...it's time for bed."

Goose leapt into her owner's arms and made herself comfortable. Peter quickly washed his hands before he followed her out of the break room. The two of them walked together down the hall, feeling tired yet relaxed at the same time. Carol was glad to have this little mini-vacation...it felt nice to be able to get away from her duties for a little while. They stopped at a split down the hall. Her quarters were located to the left while his at the right.

"Good night, Carol. I'll see you tomorrow morning." The young Spider reached over and petted the Flerken on the head. "You too, Goose."

Goose nuzzled her head against his hand with a soft purr. Captain Marvel just smirked as she watched them interact. An idea sprang up in her mind and for a second, it seemed a little too forward but she decided to hell with it in the end.

Leaning in close, Carol pecked a light kiss on Peter's face. "I had a good time with you tonight, Peter. I'm looking forward to our next movie night together."

"Uh, y-yeah. Me too." He stammered, looking very surprised.

Carol giggled before she turned around and walked back to her room. Peter went in the opposite direction, still trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Her quarters was just around the next corner but when Captain Marvel made the turn, she almost ran into Natasha. The Black Widow nimbly moved out of the way before their heads could collide against each other.

"Sorry. I didn't know you were on the other side. What are you doing up so late?"

Natasha shrugged. "Just reading over some police reports from London. How was movie night?"

Carol smiled brightly. "It was fun. Peter and I had a great time. Makes me wonder what other movies I've missed while I was away."

"There are some good ones to be sure. A lot of bad remakes and pointless sequels to perfect standalone movies were also made in the past decade though."

"Seriously? Why would anyone mess with a good classic film?"

"For money, what else?" Black Widow deadpanned with a frown. "Some directors think just by adding improved graphics to the movie, they'll be able to milk more money out of die-hard fans. The sad thing is that it usually works too."

Captain Marvel rolled her eyes. "That doesn't surprise me one bit."

…

 **\- We're getting close to continuing the plot of Avengers Endgame. I'll have to rewatch the film again to refresh my memory so I don't miss anything by accident.**

 **\- I again recommend the Red Dead Redemption 2 story I mentioned earlier to anyone who enjoys a good heartwarming tale. Till next time, folks.**


	53. Chapter 53

**\- I know some of you guys aren't a fan of the MCU version of Captain Marvel or her actress, Brie Larson...although why that is is beyond me. I don't really have a problem with her. That said, there are other websites that are better suited to make your complaints about her though, like say Reddit or even Facebook. I don't know, I think most people visit this site to read and write stories...not to express pointless scorn for someone.**

 **Anyways, for those who are here to read...please enjoy.**

 **…**

"Uh oh."

Spider-Man caught Captain Marvel's incoming punch just before she could hit his face. Even though she was holding back her strength, the impact still stung his left hand a lot. Carol suddenly leapt up and swung her leg at his torso but Peter raised his arms to block her kick.

"Ow..." He muttered, his arms aching from blocking her kick.

The young Spider went on the offensive and threw a left feint with his left hand. Carol fell for it, instinctively raising her arm to protect her face. Carol's torso was left wide open for a second and Peter jabbed his right fist into her unprotected ribs. She retreated a few steps back before he could land another hit. Though his blow didn't really hurt, her right ribcage was now feeling a bit sore.

Carol smirked as she stood in a fighting stance once again. "Nice little feint back there."

"Thanks. Bet my punch didn't do anything though."

"Maybe...get ready."

Peter barely had time to blink before Captain Marvel charged forward and threw a haymaker at his head. He moved his head out of the way in time, making her fist collide through the wall behind him. Had she been fighting at full strength...her punch would've completely destroyed the wall.

For now, all it did was leave a fist sized hole in the wall.

Carol swiftly pulled back her outstretched arm and grabbed Peter by the back of his neck. Holding him in place, she drove a hard knee into his gut. The last remnants of the breakfast he ate hours earlier was almost forced out of his stomach but he managed to keep it down. Grabbing one of the straps of her tank top, Peter headbutted her in the face in a desperate attempt to create some distance between them.

Her vision blurred for a few seconds from the sudden attack and he used that precious time to regain his breath. Captain Marvel recovered fast though and swung her fist upwards at his head. Spider-Man moved his head back just before her punch could nail him in the chin. While his eyes were focused on her fist, she struck at his legs with a low sweeping kick.

Spidey fell down onto the mat and landed on his side. Carol pinned Peter down with her bodyweight and pulled him up by the collar of his shirt.

"You surrender?" She asked, her right fist drawn back.

Peter raised his hands up. "Yeah...ouch. My ribs are going to be aching for a while."

The look on her face softened and she helped him get up to his feet with a gentle smile. Spidey nodded in thanks before he winced as stings of pain struck the nerves in the side of his body.

"You alright? Sorry, I should've held back my strength a bit more."

"It's okay. I'm fine...just been a while since I've been hit this hard."

Carol clapped her hand on his shoulder. "It was a good fight. I haven't had this much fun sparring in a long time."

Captain Marvel had been curious about how well Spider-Man fought and she asked him if he would like to spar with her after breakfast. He agreed and for the past couple of hours, they've been training together in the workout room. Peter was mostly on the defensive but he did catch Carol off guard a few times and actually knocked her down to the mat once with a well timed kick to her torso. That was about the only time he actually won against her. They fought each other for three rounds and she won the majority of their bouts.

Carol went over to grab their water bottles that had been placed at the side of the training mat earlier and tossed one to Peter. The two of them clinked their bottles together before they took a long sip.

Spider-Man stopped after he drank about half of the water and sighed out of content. "Ah, that's refreshing."

Captain Marvel just smirked as she let her eyes linger on the young Spider for a moment. Admiring Peter's lean yet muscular physique, her gaze quickly moved upwards to his young handsome face. Carol didn't deny her growing attraction for Peter but it had been a very long time since she felt this way for anyone. Having a crush on someone much younger than herself did feel a bit odd...considering the nature of her unique biology though, her age wasn't something that could be helped.

"Uh, is there something on my face?" Peter asked, noticing her staring at him.

Carol shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment."

"You want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later. Right now, I just want to have some lunch. Our training earlier built up quite an appetite."

His stomach let out a low growl in agreement. "No kidding. I'll cook up something for us after I shower and get changed."

"Sounds good." Carol said before she pressed her lips on Peter's cheek. "I'll meet you in the kitchen."

Peter nodded with a slight blush on his face. Watching her leave the workout room, he could've sworn her hips were swaying a bit more than usual too. She'd been flirting with him a lot in the past few days. Unlike Hela, her way of flirting was a bit more forward but he didn't mind. Carol seemed like the kind of woman who didn't hesitate to go for something that she really wanted...or someone in this case.

For his part, Peter really liked Carol too. She was funny, beautiful, and an all-around badass to boot. The former Air Force pilot could be a bit headstrong and stubborn too but he couldn't think of anyone who hasn't been that way from time to time. Not wanting to be late for lunch, the young Spider headed for his room so he could wash off the sweat clinging to his body. A interesting thought suddenly popped up in his mind as he strolled down the hall and it made Peter chuckle a bit.

He couldn't believe it took this long to realize the funny fact either. It was safe to say he had a preference for older women, seeing as all of his girlfriends were older than him by a few years...or thousands of years in the case of Valkyrie and Hela.

...

Carol put on a black t-shirt and slender pair of blue jeans before she grabbed Goose and left her quarters. The shower she took earlier felt refreshing and washed away the fatigue from her body. Sparring with Peter had been intense and a lot of fun. Maria and Natasha did a good job of teaching him how to properly fight. If it weren't for her nigh invulnerability, there was a fair chance he might've beaten her more than once.

As Carol approached the dining area, she could hear some music being played. She entered the room and saw Peter cooking away in the kitchen, bobbing his head occasionally to the tune. Not wanting to disturb Spidey while he cooked, Captain Marvel took a seat at the table and let Goose down. The music sounded familiar...she just couldn't remember what the name of the song was. Carol was in the middle of figuring it out when she heard Peter begin to sing to himself.

 _"If you said goodbye to me tonight, there would still be music left to write."_ The lyrics quietly flowed out of his mouth but she was still able to hear him clearly. _"What else could I do? I'm so inspired by you, that hasn't happened for the longest time."_

Carol just watched Peter in amazement...she never even suspected he had such a nice voice for singing.

 _"Once I thought my innocence was gone, now I know that happiness goes on. That's where you found me, when you put your arms around me. I haven't been there for the longest time."_

Captain Marvel grinned in triumph as she finally remembered the name of the song. It was an old classic called _For the Longest time_ that came out in 1984, during her freshman year in college. Guns Roses were her favourite band but she was also a fan of Billy Joel. It seems Peter had good tastes when it came to music...and she wholeheartedly approved.

Carol decided to have some fun and began to sing the upcoming chorus with him. _"Whoa, for the longest time! Whoa, for the longest time!"_

The young Spider jumped a little at her sudden voice before he turned around. Carol just smiled and stood up, dancing along to the music. Peter smiled back and began to dance with her. The burgers he'd been grilling earlier could be safely left alone for a moment.

 _"I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall and the greatest miracle of all...is all how I need you."_ They sang together. _"And how you needed me too, that hasn't happened for the longest time."_

There wasn't any particular way in their dancing. They just moved their bodies to the music and were having fun with it. Carol reached for Peter's hands so they could dance together. He played along and placed a hand on her hip before they swayed to the upbeat melody of the song. They twirled each other around a couple of times and at one point, the young Spider even surprised her with a sudden dip. Carol giggled as she pulled Peter close and dipped him in return.

He just laughed as the song soon ended. She found herself staring into Peter's hazel eyes for a moment before she quickly let him up.

"Thank you for the dance, milady." Peter said, bowing his head a little.

Carol jokingly curtsied. "My pleasure. It was a lot of fun...I never knew you could sing so good."

"Eh, I'm an okay singer. Good's kind of pushing it a little."

He turned his attention back to the large beef patties in the frying pan. They were more or less ready to eat and he quickly placed the burgers onto two bread buns. Adding a bit of lettuce, ketchup, cheese, onions, and bacon, the young Spider topped off both cheeseburgers with the top buns.

"Our lunch is ready. I hope you like bacon cheeseburgers." He said.

Her stomach answered that with a low growl, making Peter smirk as he placed one of the burgers in front of her. Drooling a bit from the tantalizing scent alone, Captain Marvel sat back down before she immediately dug into her jumbo sized cheeseburger.

"Holy hell, this tastes great." She muttered, eagerly taking another bite out of her cheeseburger. The flavours of the bacon, cheese, and onions were all mixed together just right. "So not only can you sing well but you're also a skilled chef...Natasha's a damn lucky woman to have you as her boyfriend."

Peter chuckled as he handed her a nice cold glass of iced tea. "No, I think I'm the lucky one to be with her. Here you go."

"Thank you."

The Black Widow soon walked in and she sniffed the air around her for a second. "Something smells good...and greasy. What are you two eating?"

Carol lifted up her burger so she could see. "Bacon cheeseburgers. Would you like one? They're really tasty."

Natasha accepted the offer with a nod. She didn't normally eat such heavy foods but her stomach was feeling pretty hungry right now. Besides, she could never say no to Peter's cooking. The young Spider quickly fixed up a burger for her with one of the extra patties in the frying pan.

"Here you are." He set her plate down on the table. "Don't worry, I didn't add any extra canola oil while cooking this."

Natasha quickly pressed her lips against Peter's. "Thank you. It smells wonderful."

Captain Marvel watched the lovely couple with a grin...and a bit of envy in her heart. She wondered what it would be like to kiss Peter herself for a second. Based on the way the Black Widow smiled against his lips, it seems like Peter was a damn good kisser.

The Black Widow was delightfully surprised after she bit into her burger. The meal wasn't as oily as she initially suspected and it tasted great. "So Carol, I trust you're enjoying your vacation?"

"I am." She replied, taking a sip of her iced tea. "Being able to relax for the last week has been really nice."

"That's good to hear."

"How are you? I feel like we haven't seen each other very much."

That was sort of true. She only ever saw the Black Widow at the table during dinner or sometimes she spotted her working away in one of the meeting rooms.

"I'm fine." Natasha said. She used a napkin to wipe some ketchup off her face. "I'm sorry we didn't get to hang out a lot...Jessica and I have been busy looking into these leads that might possibly help us find a missing friend."

Carol gently smiled. "It's okay. Why don't you come hang out with Peter and I tonight?"

"What are you two doing?"

"Watching the first film of the new Star Wars trilogy."

The Black Widow thought for a moment...she wasn't much of a sci fi fan but it would be nice to do something with her friend and boyfriend again. "I'd love to. Do you mind if I invite Jessica to join us?"

If anyone deserved to take a break, it was Jessica Jones. The private detective had been working just as hard as she has in the past few years.

"Of course." Captain Marvel said before she turned to Spidey, wordlessly asking him if it was okay.

Peter nodded with a smile. "The more the merrier. Besides, I haven't seen Jessica in a while either. It'll be great to hang out with her again."

…

 _Later that night..._

A yawn escaped Natasha's lips before she glanced at the clock. It was ten minutes past midnight. They've been watching **_The Force Awakens_** for the past two hours and the credits were now rolling. Jessica was snoring away beside her on the couch, having fallen asleep in the middle of the film. Either that or she was passed out drunk...it was hard to tell sometimes. The private investigator did have a few drinks earlier so it was probably a combination of both.

Carol dozed off near the end of the movie with her head resting on Peter's shoulder. Peter noticed about a half hour ago but he didn't have the heart to wake her up. He and the Black Widow were the only ones who ended up watching the film in it's entirety.

"So what'd you think of the movie?"

"It wasn't bad. I still can't believe Han Solo got killed though...and at the hands of his own son no less."

Peter nodded. "I remember a lot of people being surprised by that in the theatres. The funny thing was that the actor playing Han Solo wanted his character to die."

"Well, his character's death did make quite a dramatic scene in the film." Natasha said before she looked at their sleeping friends. "We should probably wake them up. The couch may be comfy but it's a little small for two people to be sleeping on."

"Be careful...Jessica can be quite a grouch when someone wakes her up."

The Black Widow heeded his advice and gently shook the P.I. by her shoulder. Her snoring stopped abruptly before grumbled words escaped her lips as she tried to go back to bed.

"Let me sleep." Jessica childishly whined.

Natasha smirked. "Don't worry, you'll be sleeping again soon. I'm just taking you back to your room so you can rest on your bed."

Though the private detective was still a little drunk, she understood her words and groggily got to her feet. Natasha moved Jessica's arm across her shoulders to help keep her steady.

She turned her head to look at Peter. "I'll help her get to bed."

"Okay. I'm going to clean up the place before I wake Carol. Meet you back in my room." Spidey said.

Natasha nodded before she slowly left, doing her best to help the slightly drunk Jessica walk. Peter gathered the snack bags littered all over the table and threw them into the garbage can. Jessica had brought some beer with her when she came to watch the movie with them and so there were a few beer bottles for him to put into the recycling bin too. Fortunately, there wasn't much of a mess for him to tidy and the table was soon clean again. The young Spider wiped the top down with a clean rag before he moved to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Carol woke up just as he came back and she was rubbing her tired eyes. "P-peter? What time is it?"

"It's almost 12:30. You fell asleep near the end of the movie." He explained.

"I did? Damn it...how much did I miss?"

"Not a lot. Don't worry, we can rewatch it again another time if you want."

She gave him a sleepy smile. "I'd like that."

Peter smiled back as he offered her a hand. "May I escort you to your room, milady?"

A giggle escaped her lips before she took his hand and he helped her get to her feet. The two of them left the break room together and headed down the hall. When they arrived at the front door to her room, Captain Marvel stopped and turned around to face the young Spider.

"Thanks for hanging out with me these past few days, Peter. Spending time with you and Darcy has been a lot of fun."

"It's our pleasure."

She looked at him with fond eyes before her hands slowly rose up to cup his face. Ignoring the nervous feeling tugging at her heart, Carol moved her head forward and tenderly pressed her lips against Peter's. Peter was surprised for a second before he relaxed and hugged Carol close. Funnily enough, her lips tasted a bit like butter and sugar...most likely because of the candy and popcorn they were munching on earlier. She could probably taste the same odd flavouring on his lips too.

Even so, it didn't spoil their kiss in any way. When they finally broke away after a long minute, Carol gave Peter a warm smile as she kept her hand on his cheek. Her face was blushing madly...enough for her to feel the heat in the tips of her ears. It had been a very long time since she kissed anyone, so long in fact that she wasn't certain it ever actually happened before.

"Natasha and Darcy were right...you are a good kisser."

Peter sheepishly grinned. "Maybe. Sorry about the butter you may have tasted on my lips. I think some of the popcorn we ate earlier was still stuck there."

Carol laughed softly. "It's okay. I'm guessing my lips probably tasted the same to you."

"Just a little."

"Heh...I'm sorry if this was a little too sudden."

"Not at all." Spidey said, tilting her head up by the chin so he could gaze into her blue eyes. "Carol, I really like you too...but you are aware about how many people I'm involved with, right?"

Captain Marvel nodded. "Darcy explained to me once about your relationship with not just her but also with Natasha and Brunnhilde. Now Hela too if I remember correctly."

"You sure this is what you want? My love life isn't exactly something most folks would condone."

There was no answer from her for a moment and at first, he assumed she was having second thoughts...but that wasn't the case. The look in Carol's eyes suddenly turned serious as she leaned in and touched her forehead against his.

"So? I don't give a damn about what other people think." Captain Marvel whispered. "You're a good man, Peter Parker...perhaps the best man that I've met in a long time. I'd be a fool for letting you slip away from me."

Spidey blushed a twinge of red as he smiled and caressed her face. "...Us dating won't be easy but being with you will be worth it."

Carol wrapped her arms around Peter and held onto him in a firm embrace. The nervous feeling in her heart went away and a pure sense of joy and affection took its place. Neither of them had any doubts that there would be obstacles along the way but they were determined to stay together no matter what.

…

 _Another month goes by..._

Captain Marvel departed for space a few days after she professed her feelings for Spider-Man to resume her peacekeeping duties. He and the others had gathered on the roof of the building that day to see her off. Right before she left though, Carol grabbed Peter and kissed him hard in front of Darcy and Natasha. The cosmic powered superheroine had already told the two ladies that she was joining their unique relationship with Peter a couple of days prior to her departure. As such, neither of them were too surprised to see her kissing their man and they only watched on in amusement.

Nothing major happened in the following weeks after Carol left. Peter still divided his time equally between New York and New Asgard. Unfortunately, Thor hadn't snapped out of his depression at all and he was still moping about in his house. The God of Thunder was drinking a little less though, thanks to Jane. She took Peter's advice a while ago and spoke to Thor about her wish to start over again with him. Jane made it clear that she understood he was still mourning for Sif and wasn't expecting an answer right away.

Jane just wanted to let him know about how she felt.

Thor listened to his former flame's words and thanked her for not only being so understanding but also for sticking by him all these years. The God of Thunder wasn't sure about rekindling their relationship...but he promised he would give the idea some serious thought. It wasn't a definite yes but at the very least, there was a chance and Jane was okay with that for now.

She told Spidey all about it in private the day after. He hoped things would work out for them...if anyone deserved some happiness in their lives, it was those two.

As for the Avengers, they were still doing their best to the world safe...although it wasn't difficult given that criminal activities were still at an all-time low. Steve hadn't resumed his duties as the leader of the team yet and so the Black Widow continued to lead the Avengers in his stead. She and Jessica had made some progress in their search for the still-missing Hawkeye. Her old friend was still killing off criminal gangs and murderers in different parts of the globe but they found an old cellphone in one of his recent massacre sites that could potentially hold information about his current whereabouts or possible next destination.

The private investigator was cracking open the old flip-phone and searching for any trails in it now...with luck, they'd finally be able to find Clint this time and stop him from what he's been doing for the past four years. Natasha fixed herself some simple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before she returned to her desk. A meeting was currently underway with some of the Avengers, the two surviving Guardians of the Galaxy, and General Okoye.

 _"Yeah, we boarded that highly suspect warship Danvers pinged..."_ Rocket said, looking a little annoyed.

Nebula glared at the holographic projection of Captain Marvel. _"It was an infectious garbage scow."_

 _"So thanks for the hot tip."_

Carol just shrugged her shoulders. _"Well, you were closer."_

The raccoon rolled his eyes. _"Yeah...and now we smell like garbage."_

 _"And how is that different from any other day for you, trash panda?"_

Natasha almost smirked out of amusement at that retort but refrained from doing so. She needed to get this meeting back on track before Carol and Rocket could begin trade barbs with each other.

"You get a reading on those tremors?" She asked the General of the Dora Milaje.

 _"Twas a mile subduction under the African plate."_

"Do we have a visual? How are we handling it?"

 _"Nat, it's an earthquake under the ocean."_ Okoye explained slowly. _"We handle it by not handling it."_

The Black Widow nodded before she turned to address Captain Marvel. The cosmic powered heroine had recently cut her hair short and changed the look of her uniform a bit. "Carol, are we seeing you here next month?"

 _"Not likely."_ Carol replied with a bit of regret.

 _"What, you going to get another haircut?"_ Rocket jokingly asked.

 _"Listen, fur face. I'm covering a lot of territory. The things that are happening on Earth are happening everywhere. On thousands of planets."_

The raccoon couldn't argue with that logic. _"Alright, alright...that's a good point."_

Carol looked back at Natasha. _"So you might not see me for a long time. I'm sorry."_

"It's okay. I understand." Black Widow reassured before she took a second to refocus. "Alright. Uh, well...this channel's always active. If anything goes sideways, anyone's making trouble where they shouldn't...comes through me."

The Guardians and Okoye's holographic projections faded away as they signed off. Carol stayed back a moment, wanting to say a few more things to Natasha in private. Natasha sat back down at her desk and breathed out a sigh before she glanced their way and realized Captain Marvel and War Machine were still present.

She nodded towards Rhodey. "And where are you?"

 _"Mexico. The Federales found a roomful of bodies. Looks like a bunch of cartel guys...never had a chance to even get their guns off."_

"It's probably a rival gang."

 _"Except it isn't. I_ _t's definitely Barton."_ Rhodey said affirmatively. _"What he's done here...what he's been doing for the last few years. I mean the scene that he left...I gotta tell you that there's a part of me that doesn't even want to find him."_

Natasha took a moment to recompose herself. Even now, hearing about all the reckless killing Clint's been doing got to her a bit...it reminded her of herself when she was just a merciless murderous tool of her government.

"...Will you help find out where he's going next?" She asked, taking a small bite out of her sandwich.

Rhodey gave her a questionable look. "Nat?"

"Please?"

War Machine was hesitant to continue what he believed to be a pointless search for Hawkeye but he relented upon seeing the hint of pleading in her eyes. "...Okay."

He signed off, leaving the Black Widow alone with Captain Marvel. She was doing her best but it was hard for her to not cry at the realization of just how far Clint has fallen.

 _"Are you alright?"_ Carol asked. She had stayed quiet during their little conversation about the missing Hawkeye. Though they've never met, she understood this Hawkeye individual was a close friend of the Black Widow's.

"I'm fine." Natasha said, wiping the tears from her eyes before they fell.

She didn't seem convinced but let the matter go for now. _"If you're certain...is Peter there?"_

As if on cue, the young Spider walked into the room. He just returned from New Asgard today and had been taking a nap for a few hours. His sleepy eyes brightened upon seeing both the Black Widow and Captain Marvel.

"Hey, Natasha." Peter said, kissing the crown of her head before he smiled lovingly at Carol. "I dig the new haircut. It suits you."

Carol smiled back at him. _"Thank you. How have you been?"_

"I'm doing alright. I just got back from New Asgard a few hours ago. Brunnhilde wanted me to give you her regards."

 _"That's nice of her. Tell Valkyrie I said hi."_

The young Spider nodded before his expression turned curious. "So are you coming back soon?"

 _"Not for a while, I'm afraid."_ She said, looking sad. _"There's a lot of planets in this part of the galaxy that need our help...I'm sorry, Peter._

Peter was admittedly a little disappointed but he knew it wasn't her fault at all. If anything, that dead purple jackass was the one to blame for making such a mess of the entire universe.

"It's okay. Saving innocent lives is more important...just be careful out there. I want to see you again safe and sound."

Carol nodded. _"Don't worry, I promise I'll come back to you right away once everything is taken care of."_

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Good luck, Carol." The Black Widow said.

 _"You too. Take care of yourselves."_

Captain Marvel gave them a two finger salute before she signed off. Peter sat down beside Natasha and placed his arm around her shoulders.

"You alright? You looked a bit troubled when I came in."

"Yeah...Clint pulled another killing spree on some cartel gang members in Mexico."

"I hope you're not thinking that it's your fault somehow because it isn't."

The Black Widow shook her head. "I know. It's just...Rhodey mentioned something earlier that got to me a little."

Spidey looked curious. "What did he say?"

"Said he wasn't certain that finding Clint would be a good idea. Mind you, I'm not giving up but Rhodey did make a good point."

He couldn't argue with that. Mr. Barton wasn't exactly the same person they once knew and there was a chance that he may not want to come back to being an Avenger. The young Spider had little to no sympathies for all the bad guys Hawkeye's killed...but he knew it wouldn't end well for the Archer if he just continued to endlessly murder criminals for the rest of his life.

"Yeah...the only way to know for sure to is find and confront Mr. Barton." He muttered before his mouth curved into a grin. "Don't worry though, I have faith that he'll come back."

She smirked out of amusement. "How do you know that?"

"Just got a good feeling is all."

Natasha chuckled before she tilted her head up and kissed Peter. Peter kissed Natasha back, smiling against her lips. They remained kissing each other for a long time and their make out session was steadily growing more passionate...until the Black Widow sensed that someone else was in the room. She pulled away from Peter's lips, much to his disappointment and glared at the sudden newcomer behind them. Steve Rogers just raised his hands up in surrender and approached the Spider couple with an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry, Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you two."

Natasha looked very annoyed. "You couldn't have knocked or something?"

Cap sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't think of that until just now. Sorry, Queens."

"It's fine, Cap." Peter said. "I didn't know you were coming over though."

"You here to do your laundry?" She asked.

"That, and to see some old friends."

The Black Widow laid her head down on Peter's shoulder. "Clearly, your friends are fine."

Steve looked at the motorcycles keys in his hand for a moment as he leaned against the shelf. "...You know I saw a pod of whales when I was coming over the bridge."

"In the Hudson?"

"There's fewer ships, cleaner water."

Natasha's eyes narrowed into a slight glare. "You know, if you're about to tell us to look on the bright side...I'm about to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich."

"I wouldn't risk it, Cap. She's got a mean throwing arm." The young Spider joked.

Steve just smirked as he set his jacket down on the table and took a seat across from them. "Sorry. Force of habit."

Natasha pushed over the plate with a peanut butter sandwich, offering the super soldier something to eat if he was hungry. That didn't seem to be the case though as he just sighed, looking thoughtful for a second.

"You know, I keep telling everybody that they should move on and grow. Some do...but not us."

The two Spiders understood what he was talking about. Even now, all of the surviving Avengers still missed their fellow departed teammates and friends dearly. None of them really got over their defeat at the hands of Thanos in Wakanda.

"If I move on, who does this?" Natasha questioned.

"Maybe it doesn't need to be done." Steve gently answered.

She could feel her eyes starting to water again. "I used to have nothing. And then I got this. This job. This family...and I was better because of it. And even though they're gone...I'm still trying to be better."

A single tear fell down her face. Peter held Natasha more firmly, doing his best to comfort her. Captain America didn't let it show but he was glad to see she had someone to take care of her at least.

"I think we all need to get a life." He jokingly said.

The Black Widow smirked. "You first."

The sound of a simple door chime sounded off, indicating that someone was at the front gates of the Compound. FRIDAY pulled up a holographic screen to show who was there.

 _"Oh, hi, hi! Uh, is anyone home?"_ The unknown individual turned out to be some dark haired middle-aged man. Behind him was a parked brown van that had clearly seen better days. _"This is uh, Scott Lang. We met a few years ago at the airport? In Germany? I was the guy that got really big. I had a mask on. You wouldn't recognize me."_

Peter had no idea who this Scott Lang was but Natasha and Cap clearly did...because they were standing up, staring at the screen with wide eyes.

"Is this an old message?" Steve asked.

 _"Ant-Man? I know you know that."_ Scott continued to ramble.

The Black Widow still couldn't believe what she was seeing. "...It's the front gate."

 _"I really need to talk to you guys."_

 _..._

 **\- Yeah, this was a long chapter and it took a while to get this done. I had to rewrite a lot of it from scratch and even now, my fight scenes are still rough around the edges.**

 **\- And so the Endgame begins. Thank you all for sticking with me thus far. I really appreciate your support. Till next time, folks.**


End file.
